Lie to Bones
by BenignViewer
Summary: When Booth and Brennan get back from there respective year-long trips they have to face a psych evaluation. Only, the FBI has decided to hire the best, and the Lightman Group has been handed the job. Can they handle the partners and squints?
1. First Instalment

**Lie to Bones**

_Foreword from the Author:  
This is a crossover between Bones and 'Lie to Me'. I try to portray all the characters as seen on the shows, but I may take some liberties with the characters.  
Disclaimer: I don't own either of these shows, but I wish I did…_

* * *

**1****. **First Instalment

* * *

Dr. Lightman strolled amicably through the busy airport. Everywhere he looked he could see the evidence of hundreds of emotions, emotions he could see and read clearly across the faces of everyone around him, the emotions that they tried to hide from everyone else.

Ahead of him he saw a couple talking, fake smiles on their face. The man was obviously lying through his teeth to the woman, and he could see that she didn't believe a word of it, but was pretending too. He frowned but let it go, it was their life and their problems, unless they hired him. Just up ahead was the baggage carousel, and there he could make out the familiar form of Foster, as well as his ex-wife and Daughter. Emily caught sight of him first and waved frantically, before making a short dash through the crowd of people and into his arms.

"I missed you dad"

"Now that's the truth." He smiled at her "And I'm glad. Some father I would be if you didn't miss me after a month"

She laughed and led him over to wear the other adults stood. "I think Mom quite enjoyed you not getting in her hair"

"I think the feelings mutual, she really does bring out the fight or flight response in me." He joked.

"Foster really missed you though."

"Well running the company on her own must have been tough, but we spoke everyday so it can't have been that bad" he smiled.

"I suppose your right" Emily said

"Of course I am" Laughing again he shared a smile with Foster who hugged him tightly and for perhaps a little longer than deemed acceptable for friends, but he didn't care.

Reading the smug look of contempt on his ex's face clear as day he grinned cockily back at her, but kept his distance. "Nice to see you too love" he whispered to Foster. "Loker and Torres behave for you?"

"They haven't been too bad, but we haven't had that much work recently." Foster said softly.

"What, hasn't Reynolds been cramming you with old FBI cases?"

"Cal, you know how he is about that. He really only deals with you."

"Nonsense, you are as reliable as me on any case."

"Well I'm glad that wasn't put to the test." She smiled, and they shared a moment.

"Cal" his ex-wife cleared her throat loudly to interrupt them. "I've got to get Emily home."

"Sure, of course. Didn't really expect you to be giving me a lift," then he dropped the attitude as he farewelled Emily. "See you later hon."  
As he collected his bags from the carousel he found that just Foster was left waiting. "So are you giving me a lift, or do I have to call a cab?"

"If you behave." She smiled.

* * *

"When does Booth get back?"

"What?" Angela woke up, startled by her phone ringing.

"Ange, I asked what time does Booth get back?"

"Sweetie, I know you miss him and all, but surely you talked to him while you were both gone…"

"We communicated via letter, and when it was available, e-mail Ange."

"Aww, you wrote to each other? That's so romantic."

"Please Ange, I can't go there. We're just partners."

"Fine Sweetie, fine. You've told me a thousand times already. I still don't believe you."

"Ange…"

"Ok, I'll let it go. But back to the point, how do you not know when Booth is getting in?"

"He told me he didn't know yet, and that the flight plan had yet to be scheduled."

"Well then that's probably what happened. Why do you think I would know?"

"Well he has no way to contact me since I got back, I don't have an address yet, or an access to e-mail, and he can't call me on my cell. I was hoping he'd mailed you or something."

"I'm flattered that you think I'm his next port of call, but haven't you tried Parker or his grandfather? They're more likely to know than me."

"I already did Ange, I logically went through everyone Booth is likely to have contacted in the order of most likely to be contacted to least."

"Well now I'm really flattered" Angela said sarcastically. "I guess you'll just have to wait then. Why are you calling me anyway Sweetie?"

"I'll call you back later Ange, thanks anyway." Brennan hung up.

"Love you too, Sweetie" Angela said softly into the dead phone.


	2. Second Instalment

**2. **Second Instalment

* * *

"Foster, can you take me directly into work?"

"But don't you want to go home to rest after-"

"Nah, I'll be fine love. I don't get jet lagged."

"Now that's a lie." She teased.

"True, but only because you know how I am after long flights." He teased back.

"So since you won't be persuaded out of it, why do you want to get back so soon?"

"Because there's something going on."

"What? Why would you think that?" She asked futilely.

"Look, I know you're only looking out for me, but you flashed concern all over your face when I mentioned Reynolds. And you evaded the question, not giving me a straight answer." Lightman carefully pointed out everything he'd noticed. He knew she had only been hiding it from him out of concern for him, but he couldn't stand not knowing. After everything that he had gone through, an unanswered question was like a thorn in his side.

"I know. I was still hoping you'd bee too tired to notice" She said resignedly.

"Well seeing as I'm not too tired to notice, what is actually going on?"

"I don't know."

"Now that is the truth. And a worry."

* * *

"Umm, Dr. Hodgins?"

"Dr. B? Didn't you just call Angela?"

"Yes, I assumed you would be in contact after your marriage, but I'd still like you to check something for me anyway."

"Okay, sure Dr. B. What is it?"

"Have you received any messages or calls from Booth?"

"Why would I have-?"

"Just, have you?"

"Umm, no. Sorry Dr. B. Listen, is everything okay? What's this about? Do you need-?" The line went dead.

"Was that Brennan?" Angela asked him, sliding into the bed beside him.

"Yeah, did she call you too?" He rolled over to face her.

"Yeah."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing really. She just kept asking about Booth, and said something about him being late."

"Is she okay?"

"I hope so Hodgie, I'm worried about her."

He smiled at his wife's face that looked so beautiful lit up with concern. "Well you know Dr. B better that I do. She can take care of herself for one more day. You can get her to spill everything at the lab tomorrow."

"What would you like me to take care of instead, Hodgie?" She purred.

"Just a little something that started in France…"


	3. Third Instalment

**3. **Third Instalment

* * *

Lightman strode hurriedly into the companies building. There was no welcoming party and he grinned to himself in satisfaction. It might as well have been another day of work with foster Chasing along behind him worriedly. Just like when he'd left, except no Reynolds.

"So what cases have we got?" Lightman asked Foster as soon as he reached his office.

"There's nothing really. The FBI wants us to do a character assessment or something on a couple of its agents but that's it."

"That's it? How many times has the FBI asked us to character assessment on members of its own? That's not normal."

Foster nodded her head in agreement "It is unusual, but I don't want you doing anything overly antagonistic or experimenting with these people."

"What, can't risk our relationship with FBI?"

"That's exactly right." Foster said glaring back at him. "They are our primary benefactor. We'd go broke without them."

"And they wouldn't solve any cases without us."

"Well that's why we have to be careful… Cal! This Agent Booth who is coming in is one of the FBI's most highly decorated field agents." Her tone brooked no nonsense.

"What, he's got more shiny commendations than Reynolds?"

"Cal, he's a medal of honour recipient."

That certainly got his attention. Lightman turned to stare at her closely, judging what she thought of this guy. "You don't get awarded the medal of honour in the FBI"

"He was a former Army Ranger."

"It all sounds perfect on Paper. Why do they need us to evaluate him?" Lightman said frustrated. He knew the FBI had its own psychologists, and while he generally didn't think that highly of them, they were probably better suited to this kind of work than his team.

"He is apparently returning from another tour. To Afghanistan."

Lightman thought about it for a moment longer before agreeing. "We'll take the case then."

"I already did" She smiled at him.

"Of course you did. Who's the partner?"

"Doctor Temperance Brennan. The FBI didn't give us any information on her."

"Well you'd best do some digging then." When he saw her glare at him he shrugged. "What? It's your case. And I 'should be resting' after all."

"So basically you're going to work on something else."

"Pretty much."

"Just no more suicides. I know how you are about them." She said concernedly.

"I'm looking into Agent Reynolds." He admitted, not wanting her to worry that he was opening old wounds.

"Cal… please." She whispered.

"I'll be careful Gillian. No one's bested me yet."


	4. Fourth Instalment

**4. **Fourth Instalment

* * *

"Bones?"

The quiet rumbling voice permeated her senses, instantly her call to Hodgins was forgotten, she snapped her phone shut on him no longer listening. "Booth?" She asked breathlessly, not daring to turn around, lest it was some hallucination on her part - which was possible after all considering how much she'd dreamed of him.

"Yeah, it's me." He whispered in her ear, voice cracking.

She didn't say another word, and neither did he, as he gently wrapped his arms around her, as she furiously threw herself into them. The cups of coffee he'd bought were completely forgotten in the emotion of the moment, which seemed to stretch forever. It was nearly ten minutes later when she finally opened her eyes to his deep brown ones.

She looked his body over, taking in the increased muscle mass, which made his broad shoulders and symmetrical features look even more impressive. Her cheeks slightly flushed, although not with embarrassment, she inspected his face closely. He bore an unmistakeable new scar high up on the right side of his jaw, just below and forward of his ear really. It traced his jawbone down for a good two and a half inches, and she gasped as her fingers traced its length.

"I'm okay Bones."

"I thought I told you not to be a hero."

"Believe me, I was no hero. I got this in that helicopter crash I wrote to you about."

"But you said you were uninjured!"

"I wasn't. Just got a scratch to remind me to keep my helmet on at all times."

"That isn't a scratch Booth. The length and width indicate a deep wound that would have damaged your mandible and-"

"Ok I get the picture Bones. It hurt a lot. You don't need to tell me, believe me I know. I'm alive and no permanent damage."

"You're not saying that to make me feel better?"

"I'd never lie to you Bones."

"But you do omit some things."

"I didn't want you to worry."

As quick as a bullet she changed topic. "Why were you late?"

"Well Military planes aren't really on a predictable schedule, you know warzone and all…" he began lightly, but was silenced by her glare.

"Why didn't you at least tell me? I thought you didn't want me to worry? I didn't know when you were supposed to be here, only the assurances from your last letter a week ago! I had no way of knowing if you even made it back from that warzone. How does that make me not worry?" She started her rant pounding her fists on his chest, by the time the time she was finished a single tear was streaking down her cheek and his arms were safely around her again.

"Bones… shh… I'm okay, you're okay. Believe me I was just as worried about you for that whole week I couldn't communicate with you. I know how unreliable Indonesian air is, and we heard about another plane crash on the news. I was worried sick. I wish I could have called you, but there was no way I could."

She smiled at him now, instinctively knowing he was telling the truth. She was stunned when he pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose, but made no move to break away. Smiling somewhat sadly Booth pulled away, wrapping his arm securely around her waist as he led her away from the reflecting pool coffee forgotten. "Are we okay Booth?" she asked insecurely.

"We're okay bones. We always are" he smiled reassuringly. "but you need to get your game face on so we can pass whatever assessment the FBI has in store for us" he teased.

"I don't know what that means…" She stated as he laughed.


	5. Fifth Instalment

**5. **Fifth Instalment

* * *

"Torres, Loker!" Lightman said firmly approaching them quietly. "Stop messing around with the equipment. Are you ready for the assessment this afternoon?"

"Yes Dr. Lightman" Torres stuttered as Loker nodded furiously. "To be honest we didn't expect you back so soon…"

"You've go to learn not to have expectations of people in this job" Lightman pointed out. "Wise of you to keep quiet Loker, but you only learn through your mistakes." Lightman grinned in satisfaction at having caught them both off guard. "So has either of you done anything with Agent Reynolds in the last month?"

"Um sure, a couple of things" Torres said, thinking.

"He showed us some video footage and he asked us to examine the people in them about two weeks ago." Loker added.

"Ok, I'm going to need a copy of those tapes. Did Foster know anything about this?"

"Um, I thought so. Wait, you think Reynolds is doing something illegal?" Lightman stared back at her not saying anything. She realized he was testing her ability to read his facial expressions to answer questions he couldn't aloud. Concentrating now, Torres watched Lightman closely. "Ok, so not anything Illegal… What you think he's using us? … Ok that was concern. You don't know what he's doing and you're… concerned?"

"Pretty good" He said before spinning on his heel and strutting out of the Lightman group's lab.

"Ok, so what was that all about?" Loker asked confused.

"I dunno, but Lightman is definitely worried about Reynolds."

"Do you think he thinks Reynolds is not paying us for services or something?"

"Do you always assume the worst of people Loker?"

"Radical Honesty, remember? I say whatever I think about people."

"Not always"

"Oh give me a break" he groaned, turning back to his work.

* * *

"I still don't see why we need to be assessed to reform our partnership."

"Bones, it's Bureau policy, nothing I can do about it so quit complaining about it."

"I can understand that it is the FBI's policy to reassess agents, I don't see why I have to be reassessed though. I mean, I am still the best in the world at what I do."

"Bones…"

"And I don't think you need to be tested either, your fitness and weapon proficiency should easily meet FBI standards since you are coming back from a tour in Afghanistan."

"What about 'stop complaining' don't you understand?" Booth said grinning despite himself.

"I am merely voicing my frustration with the lack of explanation the Federal Bureau of Investigation is giving for its actions."

"Bones, this isn't a proficiency test, it's a psych evaluation."

"Why do we need a psych evaluation? We've worked as successful partners before."

"Because we've both just come back from an extended period in very different and trying circumstances, that's why."

"But I have-"

"Bones I know you have been to a lot worse places than the Maluku Islands, and all, but you didn't work for the FBI then. As I said, it's policy."

"Oh." She seemed crest fallen. "You said Maluku right"

"Wait? Was that a compliment… and did I just win an argument?"

"I did compliment you on saying 'Maluku' right, considering prior to our separation you couldn't pronounce it correctly."

"Ok, Nice way to change the subject there Bones" Booth said grinning.

"Uhhg." She huffed crossly. However she couldn't maintain the charade for long before she was talking again. "Why couldn't Sweets have done the evaluation?"

"You're kidding right? You seriously want the kid to do our evaluations?"

"Well I thought we included him into our 'village'…"

"Bones that's kind of the point. Since he has worked so closely with us and wrote a book on us kind of makes him biased as an observer. We have to be assigned a different psychologist."

"What, you mena we won't get to work with Sweets anymore?"

"No. What I'm saying is because we are working on cases with Sweets and he has finished his stupid book we no longer have to go to sessions with him."

"Oh. That's good then."

"You see, we agree Bones"

"Well we'd both have to agree that our sessions with Sweets were exceedingly frustrating."

"Yeah. But I am a little unsure as to why the FBI is having our psych evaluation done by civilians."

"It makes sense to me. External sources are the least biased in there observation of an experiment."

"Of Course it would. Anything 'sciencey' makes sense to you."

"No, I don't believe in Psychology regardless."

"Well that's going to go down well. I hear these guys are like the Squints of Psychology"

"Who exactly are we going to see for this evaluation?"

"I don't know who per se, all I know is it's an FBI contractor called the Lightman group."


	6. Sixth Instalment

**6. ** Sixth Instalment

* * *

"Can I speak to Special Agent Reynolds please?"

"I will see if he's in now." He reached a receptionist of some sort.

"Ok, I'll hold." Lightman drummed his fingers impatiently on the phone receiver.

"I'm sorry, he's not in at the office at the moment, I think he's out on assignment. Who is this calling? I will take a message."

"It's Dr. Lightman from the Lightman Group, and please tell agent Reynolds that I need to speak with him as soon as possible." With that Lightman hung up the phone, deep in thought.

Reynolds was the Lightman Group's assigned liaison and although he and Lightman had butted heads on more than a few occasions, Cal had come to grudgingly regard him as a friend. After the first time they worked together Lightman had seen the use of the FBI, and he had been rather curious to work with them. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that some part of him enjoyed the cases the FBI brought before them, as trying as they had been. Now however he had the sneaking suspicion that Reynolds had been lying to his people to make use of his group's services.

Suddenly his phone rang again. "Dr Lightman? Who is this?"

"Deputy Director Hacker" the other man answered. "You were inquiring about Agent Reynolds?"

"Uh, yeah I was."

"What exactly is your interest in Special Agent Reynolds activities?"

Lightman was stung by this mans feathers, but taking Fosters warning from before to heart he refrained from prodding him. Besides flattery was much more likely to serve his purposes than abusing one of the FBI's ADD's.  
"Well you see, I work with Reynolds, he's the liaison to my company the-"

"Lightman Group, I know."

"Well as you know that connection makes it professional. He's also a friend, so that makes my concern two fold."

"I can't tell you of any of Agent Reynolds actions at present Mr.-"

"-Dr.-"

"-Lightman. They are classified."

"Ok, I understand" he replied finally getting fed up with this irritating and self inflated man. "I think you will like to know however that I will find out what's going on for myself."

"Dr. Lightman please-" Lightman slammed the phone down into its cradle loudly. Turning to his computer he opened up the first of the video files Reynolds had had Torres and Loker look at.


	7. Seventh Instalment

**7. ** Seventh Instalment

* * *

Booth and Brennan parked outside the main building of the Lightman Group. It was an impressive structure, not anywhere near as large as the Jeffersonian's lab, but it had a feeling to it that its single story sprawling structure captivated. The trapezoidal entry hall that tempered at the top was lit brilliantly, and they both noticed the large mural on the wall displaying hundreds of different pictures of people's faces and expressions. Booth found he could identify them all and subconsciously filtered through the different expressions.

"Ah, you must be Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan." A short kindly woman looking to be in her early to mid thirties approached them. She had fair blonde hair cut short around her neckline and had a bright welcoming smile plastered on her face. Booth thought she looked concerned about something but dismissed the thought from his head as he replied.

"Special agent Seeley Booth" he said smiling charmingly and subconsciously including his first name. He felt Bones stiffen ever so slightly by his side and immediately his smile dimmed somewhat.

"Pleased to meet you" she said holding her hand out. Booth shook it, but Brennan declined the offer.

"You obviously know who I am" She said bluntly. Booth got the feeling that the woman was somewhat taken aback by his partners attitude, and couldn't help feeling a little sorry for her.

"Well, yes. I am Dr. Gillian Foster co founder of the Lightman Group. I will be overseeing your evaluation today." She said smoothly. Booth got the feeling it wasn't the first time she'd had to smooth relations with people involved with the Lightman Group.

"Excuse, but you are a doctor of what exactly?" Brennan asked.

"Forensic Psychology." She answered "Now if you'd please follow me? I'd like to introduce you to the staff who will be directly working with you." She led them into what looked like a large conference room where two other people were waiting. They both looked young, roughly in there mid to late twenties, one was a Latina woman and the other was a tall and slightly lanky Caucasian man.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, I'd like to introduce you to Ria Torres and Eli Loker" she gestured to both the woman and the man in turn.

"Wow." Loker said, earning a hard stare from Booth and a nudge from Ria as he ogled Brennan.

"Pleased to meet you" Torres said leaning over Loker to shake Booth and Brennan's hands.

Loker followed suit, eyes locked on Brennan, offering her his hand first. "Man you're hot" he muttered. "I'd like to have sex with you." That was the last thing Loker saw as Booth's fist crashed into him.

* * *

Loker groggily opened his eyes to see Brennan kneeling directly over him. Any chance of him enjoying the sight was ruined as all of his senses rushed back to him leaving him with an overwhelming headache. As the pain faded somewhat he became aware of the conversation around him."

"He subscribes to Radical Honesty" Torres was explaining.

"Well just because he tells nothing but the truth doesn't mean he has to open his mouth for everything." Agent Booth said, shrugging apologetically.

"Well you didn't have to hit him so hard, Booth" Dr. Brennan was saying.

"I didn't hit him that hard Bones! Jeez"

"You knocked him out. He could have lasting injury or some skull trauma."

"I hit him exactly where I intended too." Booth said leaning down and poking Loker right where his head hurt the most, behind his left temple. He winced violently in response; however neither of the two partners seemed to notice.

"You hit him here Booth!" Brennan said poking Loker in an equally sore spot, just below the one Booth had poked.

"I know exactly where I hit him Bones." Booth insisted.

"You still needn't have hit him so hard."

"I hit him exactly as he deserved, and it wasn't that hard. That punch never knocked anyone out in the Rangers."

"Well we aren't in Afghanistan any more if you hadn't noticed!"

"Oh believe me I noticed."

"Then why did you hit him?"

"Because he was rude and insolent and…" Booth couldn't finish what he wanted to say.

"I can protect myself you know!" She said firmly.

"Oh really?" he said, temper flaring again "Where would you have hit him?"

"I would have hit him right here." She said.

Loker gulped as he felt her gently miming a karate chop to his jugular. Figuring he would be safer on his feet he finally summoned the effort to move, groaning as he did so. Instantly both partners stopped their bickering and turned to help him up. Booth was giving him a 'served you right' look, while Brennan appeared strangely expressionless.  
"I'm Ok" he croaked as he made his way back over to where Torres was standing. He noticed with aggravation that she was barely controlling her laughter. Foster was watching the whole scene gobsmacked from the doorway.

"See Bones, What did I tell you? I didn't hit him that hard" Booth grinned, slipping in the last word. She snorted and he ignored her, turning back to Foster. "Now what exactly did you have in mind for evaluating us?"


	8. Eighth Instalment

**Authors Note: **_Sorry it has taken me so long to update here, but I am new to and I am still trying to work out how to publish my stories properly. _;)  
_As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewd so far, you really amke writing that much more enjoyable for me, and make me want to share my work with others all the more. To everyone else, I hope to see reviews from you soon _=P _LOL.  
I hope you are all enjoying this;_

_Regards,  
_**~BV~**

**

* * *

**

8. Eighth Instalment

* * *

Lightman sat watching the video clip for the second time. The first time he had just skimmed through, just to see how long it was and who was in it. He didn't recognise anyone on the tape, but one of them featured in every single tape that Reynolds had sent. The other man was also in several of the tapes, but it was the first tape that was of the most interest to him. There was no sound, and he couldn't clearly see the second mans face, but it was clearly footage from the FBI building, the FBI insignia was clearly visible on the door on the edge of screen.

The first man was sitting facing the second who was behind a desk in some kind of office. From the outset of the tape both men seemed relaxed, but their body language became increasingly tense. The first man appeared to be smiling smugly the whole time, but Lightman could see exactly when the other man said something that made him furious. Studying the set of the other man's shoulders and his aggressive stance, it was obvious they were having some sort of disagreement.  
However, the tape finished with the first man looking smug and grinning as he left the office, while the second man was trying to shrug off the encounter, a tell tale sign of being nervous. It was only then, once the first man had left the room, that the second relaxed completely, turning in his chair so that the camera could make out his face clearly.

Pondering the scene, Lightman tried to piece together the significance of it. He wiped his brow in frustration, worried by the fact that the more he dug into Reynolds investigation the more questions he had, rather than answers.

It was obvious from the number of tapes and their content that the first man was the target of some sort of FBI investigation, but what role did the second man -who was obviously FBI- play? Was he also under investigation?  
With nothing more to go on, he re-winded the tape and began to watch it again.


	9. Ninth Instalment

**9. **Ninth Instalment

* * *

"So how is this going to work exactly Dr. Foster?" Booth said smiling charmingly.

"Well we're going to hook you up to a series of sensors to monitor your reactions, and then I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and we will see whether you answer truthfully."

"So you're basically giving me a polygraph?"

"Not really. A poly graph works by looking at your bodies reactions like changes in temperature and sweating to indicate nervousness and decide whether you're lying. They are very fallible, and we have done several tests that proves just how easy it is to beat a polygraph."

"Ok, I'll remember that for the next time I have to take a bureau polygraph" he laughed. Foster smiled too.

Right after the incident with Loker, Booth and Brennan had been lead into a cramped Lab area. The lab was filled with various computers and recording devices, but the thing that really dominated the space was a large glass cubicle. Booth was lead inside where he was being interviewed by Foster. Outside Brennan could hear everything going on inside.

"So what exactly do you monitor?" Brennan asked Torres, who was watching the room intently.

"I watch for facial expressions, I can pick up the minutest facial micro expressions which reveal what the test subject is really feeling."

"What is a micro expression? As an anthropologist I'm familiar with the way chemical responses to physical stimuli prompt the brain to seemingly emotional reactions, but how is this shown on the face?" Brennan was curious, _was this how Booth could read people so well?_

"A micro expression is a very fast and uncontrollable response to the emotion someone is feeling… wait you don't believe in emotions?"

"I find believing in anything is irrational, and unsupportable by any scientific fact. Emotions or the semblance of emotions can only be proven to be chemical responses by the brain to specific physical stimuli. I do not believe that foolish romantic notions like 'love' and exist."

"Okay…"

"You know if you didn't understand what she said Torres, you should just say so." Loker said pointedly.

"Look how far radical honesty has gotten you" she returned snidely, gesturing at the visible lump on his head.

"Cut it out" Foster hissed as she strode into the room. "Is everything ready?" They both nodded "Good. Start recording. Dr. Brennan you are welcome to watch, and we will repeat the process interviewing you afterwards."

Not waiting for a reply Foster walked back into the room where Booth was waiting.

"Trouble with the troops?" Booth asked smiling.

"Why would you think that?"

"_You looked flustered…"_ Booth's voice crackled over the speaker to the people outside the interview room.

"Now that's interesting." Torres said, staring hard through the glass walls of the interview room.

"What is?" Both Brennan and Loker asked on top of one another.

"He is."

"There are lots of things interesting about Booth." Brennan said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "To what specifically are you referring?"

"He just read her micro expressions."

"Wait, how? It's not a widely accepted field yet, the FBI doesn't train their agents to do that."

"Well he just read Foster like a book, she was putting on a great stage face, but he read how irritated she was, and deduced that it was us responsible, all in a fraction of second. Either he has had specialist training, or he's freakishly good."

"Booth is very big on using his 'gut' instinct, although I have find no means of scientifically verifying it, he is not often wrong." Brennan added

"So you're saying he's a natural?" Loker asked. Torres nodded.

"A natural at what?" Brennan asked

"At reading facial micro expressions. Very, very few people can instinctively see micro expressions, we call these people naturals."

"Torres here is a natural." Loker said poking her. "I have been studying for a few years already to just begin being able to make out micro expressions. Dr. Lightman has been studying them for over two decades, and he's like god. Nothing gets past him."

"How do people develop the ability to read micro expressions?" Brennan continued her line of query.

"Lots of hard work."

Brennan glared at Loker. "I have a triple doctorate. You haven't even begun hard work."

"Right" Loker said, chastised. "Well you can either achieve the ability to see micro expressions through study, or from natural ability. We did a study here a few years back into naturally occurring abilities to read micro expressions, in most cases natural ability stems from past abuse, particularly in cases of child abuse from parents or family. Victims of abuse would develop the ability as a form of protection to be able to read the mood of an abuser they lived in close proximity too, to therefore be able to control or avoid their abuse."

Brennan analysed what she'd been told about the theory of micro expressions. As far as theories regarding psychology were concerned she was rarely impressed, and more often that not refused to acknowledge them as having any scientific basis, but anthropologically she was fascinated with the connections the Lightman group had made in their research. "That makes sense."

"_I'm going to ask you a few control questions now"_ Fosters voice brought their attention back to the interview.

"Why do you do that?"

"So that we can get a baseline for when he's telling the truth, so that we can tell when he's lying." Torres whispered.

"_What is your name?"_

"_Seeley Joseph Booth."_

"Seeley?" Loker scoffed upon hearing his name.

Both Torres and Brennan glared at him. "You wouldn't have said that in front of Booth." Brennan observed scathingly. "I am confident that he would have hit you again."

"_And why are you here?" _Foster asked. Once again silence pervaded the observation room as they watched his answer.

"To get cleared to resume work with the FBI." Booth answered truthfully. He had heard something of the reputation of the Lightman Group at the FBI, and he had no intention of risking his career by seeing if he could get away with lying to them.

"What is your partner's name?" Foster gently asked the next question.

"Dr. Temperance Ruth Brennan"

"And how long have you worked together?"

"Just shy of six years."

"And what is the nature of your relationship with Dr. Brennan?"

"Is this a control question, or part of the test?" Booth asked lightly.


	10. Tenth Instalment

**10. **Tenth Instalment

* * *

Lightman pondered the tapes carefully. It was obviously some sort of observation operation, but were they watching the actions of the mysterious man in every tape, or his correspondence with the unnamed FBI agent? Either way it was a dangerous line to be treading, although he reasoned it would make sense for Reynolds to be investigating an internal affair considering his links to the Lightman Group. Pushing his thoughts aside he opened the next file.

The second video was from the same camera again as the first, it showed the same office and the same FBI agent in it. Then a beautiful dark haired woman walked into the office. There was a conversation of sorts going on between them, and it was obvious from their body language that both were attracted to the other.  
That was when he saw it, the mysterious man appeared on the very edge of the camera, at the top of its field of view. He was outside the office talking with another man, who was obviously another FBI agent. The first man was gesturing at the office vaguely, and was looking very smug, while the other FBI man shook his head and walked away. The first man then exited in the opposite direction.  
That was where the footage ended.

This tape was even more baffling than the first, and didn't provide any answers for Lightman. Resignedly, he knew he would have to find Reynolds to learn for sure exactly what was happening, but he intended to have as much information as he could for when he confronted him. He was worried for Reynolds as a reluctant friend, but was even more worried about why this investigation was being kept from him. What didn't they want him to know?

* * *

"_Is that a control question, or part of the test?"_

"Now that's interesting." Torres muttered.

"Yeah, he's avoided the question. Classic evasion one oh one." Loker agreed.

"What are you talking about?"

Startled they both turned to see Brennan standing behind them, watching the room urgently. They had almost forgotten she was there. Sharing a look which both knew meant not to say too much in front of her, Torres carefully answered. "It's nothing really, just something with our equipment." Torres watched as Brennan's eyes narrowed with suspicion, but was relieve that she let the matter drop. Moving right next to Loker she whispered in his ear. "I think we need to watch her reactions to his answers."

"Why? Is something bothering you about her?" He whispered back.

"I don't know" she replied honestly.

"_It doesn't matter why I'm asking the question."_ Fosters voice replied after some consideration. _"But I am curious as to why you avoided answering it."_

"_Everyone seems to assume we're in a relationship" Booth said laughing. "We have a very close friendship but nothing more."_

Torres was watching Brennan's face closely, but couldn't see any emotional reaction. This puzzled her more than any response she could have given. "Loker" she whispered again "She's not reacting."

"What, you mean you can't see her reactions?" Loker asked, confused.

"I mean, she isn't reacting at all. Foster just asked him about their relationship, and she didn't show any expression."

"Perhaps she didn't hear?"

"No, she definitely heard. She's concentrating solely on the interview room."

"So what does this mean?"

"I don't know." Uncertainly they looked back between Brennan and Booth in the interview room.

"_Why do you wish to be re-partnered with Dr. Brennan after your separation?"_

"Well we're the best." He said smiling charmingly. "And as I said, she's my closest friend"

"Have you ever had any problems working together?" Foster asked kindly.

Booth found there was something about her that set him off guard, he instinctively found that he liked and trusted her. "I arrested her father once."

"Tell me about that."

"There isn't much to say."

"I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"Sorry, I wasn't aware I was in here for a meeting with a shrink." Booth joked, watching Foster closely.

Foster couldn't help but feel like he was analysing her, and she felt that he was a very guarded person, that pushing him wouldn't get her anywhere. "Well I have to submit a psychological evaluation of you both to the FBI to convince them to recertify you, and allow you to resume your partnership" She said gently. She made a motion of checking her watch. "I think that's enough for now. I think you are fit for duty again, but I'll need to talk to you again before I can submit my evaluation."

"Why can't you finish now?"

"Well I need to speak to your partner" she smiled "and my time is limited I'm afraid. We'll speak again tomorrow."

"_I'm looking forward to it."_ Booth's voice answered over the speaker, then he followed Foster out of the room.

"Ok, I guess we'll take a short break for I speak to you Dr. Brennan." Foster said walking into the observation room."

"That sounds reasonable." Brennan answered as Booth joined them.

"Well come on then Bones, we have a break, let's go find something to eat." He grinned at her.

She smiled back at him, laughing "You always think with your stomach" she grouched good naturedly.

"And you never do, so I have to think for you and me both" he shot back

"You certainly eat enough for us both."

"Well even Parker wouldn't be satisfied with what you eat!" he said

"I eat reasonably for my body mass." She countered

"Bones, Parker is half your size and eats twice as much!"

They bickered all the way to the door, and once the doors finally closed behind them Foster shared a look with Loker and Torres. "Well, what did you think? Did you see anything?"

Looking sidelong at Loker, Torres replied "Booth seemed… well he seemed at ease throughout the entire interview. He did evade the question you asked about his relationship with Dr. Brennan, but he didn't seem nervous or to be hiding anything, he actually flashed sadness and regret I think when he mentioned it."

"Don't forget to mention that he's a natural that would give Lightman a run for his money." Loker added.

"Really?" Foster asked

"Well he read you like a book when you came in after telling us off." Torres explained. "And he was subconsciously picking up on your reactions to him, gauging you."

"I thought as much. What about Brennan, what did you notice about her… you did watch her didn't you?"

"Now that's the strangest thing. The whole time she was with us she was completely factual. She didn't register a single emotional response to anything he was saying, the only time I saw her responding emotionally was when Loker said he wanted to have sex with her, to which she reacted with irritation, and when she was arguing with Agent Booth as they left here just now, again same emotion."

"She also completely discredited emotions having any scientific value other than a chemical prompt to the brain in reaction to stimuli, which irked Torres." Loker said snidely.

"Don't you two start again." Foster warned. "But it is curious that she discounted emotions, and has responded with only basic emotions the whole time we've seen her…"


	11. Eleventh Instalment

**11. **Eleventh Instalment

* * *

"Hey there, it's Dr. Lightman again."

"Well Dr. Lightman, such a pleasure that you called again so soon." Hacker's voice greeted him.

"Well I'm going to cut through the bullsh*t, coz the thing about me is I hate liars. What exactly is going on with the FBI having surveillance in their own building? You know that's breaking privacy laws."

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"That there, is denial. I can hear the uncertainty in your voice from here. You're lying. And I know you don't have a court order so don't feed me that cr*p."

"I assure you we have nothing other than regulation CCTV security cameras operating here, and we do not have any of our own under surveillance."

"That's a pack of lies again." Lightman growled, his accent making him sound far more menacing. "The footage I have here, is most definitely not from a CCTV camera, in fact I would say that it's a CMOS camera, one point eight millimetres in length and width, am I right?" He heard nothing but silence from the other ended of the line. "I'll take that as a yes then? Oh and can I please speak to agent Reynolds now?"

The line went dead.

"Lying prick" he muttered, turning back to his computer to select the next video file.


	12. Twelfth Instalment

**12. **Twelfth Instalment

* * *

The third clip was as brief of the others, but there was obvious evidence of it being cut.  
To Lightman it looked like Reynolds had been very careful in selecting what evidence would be useful out of the video he'd sent Torres and Loker.

"So what are you trying to hide?" Lightman muttered to the tape as he pressed play.

* * *

"Dr. Brennan, please, be seated" Foster said, gesturing at the chair opposite the small table in the room.

"How come the walls are white in here? I could see through them from the other side, most single way windows have a reflective surface."

"These are special Dr. Brennan, they are designed to be able to switch between one-sided and two-sided" Foster answered. "Now please, take a seat."

"That's a very clever design." Brennan marvelled sitting down. "I imagine it could come useful in interrogations"

"Well we don't always do interrogations Dr. Brennan" Foster assured her "The ability to switch the glass from transparent to opaque can also give a sense of privacy to the people we… interview" Foster found she had quickly lost control of the discussion. Where as Booth had been charming and easy going, Brennan was blunt and forceful, and she had been dominating the discussion up until this point.  
"So, uh, Dr. Brennan, can you please sit down so we can connect you to our monitoring equipment."

"I still don't understand why I have to partake I this, since I am not a part of the FBI."

"To be able to work with Agent Booth again, we need to assess your reactions too him after your separation to gauge whether or not you can safely work together."

"What do you mean 'safely'? WE are not a threat to each other, He has risked his life to save mine, and I would mine, to save his." She said simply.

"It's well enough that you say that." Foster said gently, "And I believe you. But we need you to submit to this examination so we can prove that to the FBI."

"That is logical, evidence is necessary to form any reliable conclusion." She abruptly moved and sat down, almost startling Foster with her speed. "So ask me a question."


	13. Thirteenth Instalment

**13. **Thirteenth Instalment

* * *

The tape played. This time the camera revealed a different scene. The most obvious differences between this recording and the first two was the sudden inclusion of sound, and the wobbling camera, which suggested it was hand held.

The camera suddenly panned around to focus on the second man from the other surveillance tapes. The most immediate thing Lightman noticed about him, apart from his physical appearance was his voice. He had an unmistakeable Russian accent but the words he was saying here incomprehensible to where the observer with the camera was standing. The most surprising thing on the camera however was the woman beside the Russian. She was the same woman who had been so unabashedly aroused with the first man in the FBI office. The dark hair and brilliant blue eyes as well as her striking figure were unmistakable.

_What is going on here?_

* * *

"Ok Dr. Brennan, we are now ready to proceed."

Brennan surveyed her surroundings carefully. She was uncomfortably aware of several different sensors connected to her, and she wished she had Booth's easy way with people so that she could just get this over and done with. The same sensors that had been on Booth were being used on her; she couldn't see which machines they were connected too, they all disappeared into the floor. It was a reasonable conclusion that they were connected to the monitors that Loker and Torres were watching.

Curious as to the specific functions of the equipment being used she examined all the electrodes attached to her neck, forehead, arm and wrist. They were positioned over major arteries in her body, and they could reasonably deduce body temperature and heart rate. It astounded her that Booth could apparently perceive all this naturally.  
The sensors on her head were more of a puzzle to her. They seemed to be designed to monitor brain activity, and while she was familiar with many psychological theories about the different regions of the brain controlling different emotions and actions she found there were many flaws with these theories anthropologically, not to mention accurately monitoring the brain required the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging or a CAT scan.

"Um, Dr. Brennan? Are you still with me?" Foster's Voice penetrated her contemplations.

"Oh, sorry, I was just pondering the use of this sensor on my overhead, as brain activity can only be measured with-"

"Either a CAT scan or MRI, I know." She said rather frustrated. "I have a doctorate in this field." When Brennan still stared stubbornly at her, she realized she would have to give more explanation. A doctorate didn't impress this woman very much. "The forehead sensor monitors muscle tensing and perspiration. Now I know it is a fascinating area of study, but can we get back to why we're here?"

"_Of course, my apologies. You can ask your question now."_

Sitting in the observation room this time, Booth couldn't resist a chuckle, and it was obvious that neither Loker nor Torres could either, as Foster's very loud and audible sigh came over the speaker. This was the third time she'd asked the question.


	14. Fourteenth Instalment

_**Authors Word: **Well Hi again Folks. Some more Updates for you, I hope you're enjoying them. As always, please review! It might be just a little vain of me, but I get high off feedback. ;) JK, but reviews are always good. Makes me want to keep writing and sharing with all of you! Thanks for all the fantastci Comments so far, and I'm glad everyone is both intrigued and enjoying this!_

**_~BV~

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**14. **Fourteenth Instalment

* * *

The Tape continued, he still couldn't make out anything they were saying, but the pair were talking avidly. Or rather, the woman was. She seemed upset, worried, and maybe even afraid? Her face was not really facing the camera properly, but from the raised tenor of her voice it was obvious she was anxious. The Russian by contrast was completely unmoved by any of her display, he even seemed to be smugly enjoying the woman's distress. Suddenly the camera stood stock still, and the pair walked closer and closer to it, unaware that they were being observed. The closer they got their words became more discernible from the background noise.

They were moving in a large crowd of people, and as Lightman studied the backdrop around them, he would place them as being somewhere in the business district of Washington DC, from a glimpse of a street sign in the film. Rewinding now to pay close attention to the conversation he could only make out their words as they passed right by their tail with the camera.

"_Please… you can't hurt him," The woman was pleading._

"_Did I ever say that I would?" The arrogant accented male's voice replied._

"_I have money." _

"_So do I. It is of no concern to me. Can you stop him investigating?"_

"_Booth always-"_

"_Don't make excuses. Either keep him clear of this, or I will."_

"_I think I can make him leave…"_

The voices faded again, but Lightman for once felt satisfied that he was getting somewhere with this. The woman's body language was most telling; she was trying to protect someone. If he could find her, he knew he could get her to talk.

* * *

"_What is your full name?" _Foster resumed asking the same control questions she had asked Booth.

"_Temperance Ruth Brennan" _Brennan answered.

Zoning out from the boring and repetitive part of the conversation, Booth closely observed the room he was sitting in. Both Loker and Torres were looking studiously at their monitors and Brennan in the room before them.  
"That's a pretty sweet two way mirror you got there." Booth said referring to the interrogation room they had. IF he was honest with himself, he had been kinda startled when he walked into the observation room to see that he could see right through the seemingly opaque white walls of the room he had been in.

"Yeah, we find that it is pretty useful when it comes to observing some people when they don't think that they're being observed." Torres answered him, looking away from Brennan and Foster in the room.

"_And what the nature of the relationship with your partner?"_ Foster repeated the question she'd asked Booth to Brennan.

"_We work together."_ Brennan answered.

Booth grinned lopsidedly at Brennan's answer; he was used to her blunt and straightforward manner, and he also knew there was so much more to her than that. It made him feel privileged that she didn't share anything of herself with anyone but him. As he'd once told her _'what's ours is ours.'_

"_Ok, that's enough for today."_ Foster said, before leading Brennan back into the observation room.

"So what's the verdict?" Booth asked smiling at her.

"Well, I'm recommending that you be allowed to return to work, Agent Booth. However I would like to observe you and Dr. Brennan working together before I pass judgement on your partnership."

Booth's eyes narrowed as he saw something flicker across her face, she seemed to be… curious? He had a sneaking suspicion that she wanted to observe him and Brennan for reasons other than just reaffirming them to work together. He was suddenly hit with a sense of déjà vu as he remembered the way Sweets had developed a morbid interest in them after being assigned to evaluate them too. Chuckling to himself at the thought he caught Bones' puzzled stare at his actions.

"I guess we'll be fine with that. But we'll need a case before you can see us really working together."

"Well we'll just observe you in the workplace, and when something comes up we'll be there." Foster grinned in return.

"Oh you'll love the lab." Booth said with an obvious tone. "It's a psychologist's field day."

With that Booth turned, and placing a hand on the small of Brennan's back, lead her out of the building. None of those watching missed the intimacy of the action between them, just as none of them missed their loud raised voices resume bickering.


	15. Fifteenth Instalment

_**Authors Note: **Here Is one more part for you tonight! Please Review!_

**_~BV~_**

* * *

**15. **Fifteenth Instalment

* * *

Brennan sat in the seat of Booth's SUV, quietly fuming, and yet unable to control her curiosity. "You were flirting with her" She tried to accuse, but it fell flat, and came out like low whine.

"No I wasn't Bones…" Booth said, "Well only a little, and that was so that we could get through there quickly and without overly offending anyone."

"You were having eye sex with her" Booth blanched at her words, and she looked at him concerned as he coughed violently. "Are you alright?"

"You see Bones, that's what I was talking about. Did Angela teach you that phrase?"

"Yes, she is most informative about cultural idioms."

"Bones, she's just teaching you dirty talk."

"Yes, I believe that's another one of the phrases she taught me. It means-"

"I know what it means Bones. This was exactly the kind of thing I was trying to smooth over…"

"You punched the young Loker man in the face." She shot back at him.

"He was way out of line there." Booth defended "Again something you should keep in mind when stonewalling the one person who can let us work together again."

"Are you insinuating that I was cold and abusive?"

"No more than usual. I'm kidding" he added as he saw her hurt expression. "Temperance, you have a different way of seeing things to other people, and because of that a different way of showing it. It's what I like most about you; it's what makes you who you are Bones."

She smiled in gratitude, trusting him as always. Her tone becoming light and argumentative again as she considered the other thing he'd done which had bothered her. "So why did you say the Lab was a psychologists dream? I hate psychologists you know that."

"Well it was only polite to invite them in so that-"

"You _invited_ them to study us around the lab?"

"Um yeah, didn't you hear me?"

"I hate not understanding proper etiquette." She moaned.

"Bones, look at it this way. They'll be so distracted by all the other squints they won't have time to 'study' us. I'll ask Sweets over as well, he'll want to welcome us back properly. He can psycho babble with the Lightman people for days, and have the time of his life doing it. It'll keep them all of our backs for the first day we're back."

"But why would we want them off our backs if they're welcoming us back?"

"Bones, you know how they are. Now that we're back from our 'vacations' they are gonna assume, well you know..."

"Oh, I think I know what you mean. Angela believed that I would 'jump you' as soon as I saw you again. I didn't understand her at first, but now I realize that she meant jump as a connotation for sexual intercourse."

Booth actually banged his head against the steering wheel, causing the car to swerve violently. "Please Bones, can you just stop it."

"Stop what?"

* * *

"Cal? Cal! Are you still here?"

"What is it love?" Lightman called upon hearing her voice down the hall. Within moments she was in his office.

"What are you still working on? You need to get some rest, or you'll be as crazy as… What is that you're looking at?"

"What? This? These are surveillance tapes."

"I thought you trusted me to handle this case." She said angrily, her body clearly showing how stressed she was.

"Calm down, what exactly is the matter."

"You! Everyone!" she suddenly yelled. Why won't you trust me to be able to take a case without getting involved, or looking over my shoulder? Is that it? Do you think your omniscient?"

"What in hell are you talking about?" Lightman said, anger tainting his voice now, when he saw the flash of recognition across her face. "Wait." He looked down at the tape he was currently watching which showed the first man again sitting behind his desk in his office and the dark auburn haired woman across from him. "You know these people?"

"These are the people the FBI wanted us to evaluate." Foster said, her angry outburst from her frustrating day fading, as she caught on. "What is this?"

"These are a series of surveillance tapes from the FBI which Reynolds was trying to get Torres and Loker to look at, to keep things low key."

"How come Loker and Torres didn't recognize the two of them then?"

"These have been sitting around here for weeks obviously, and the recordings themselves are dated from over a year ago. They aren't us, they forgot. Which is why I don't trust them. But don't ever get into your head that I don't trust you, love. Sometimes you're the only person that I do."

"I know, Cal, it's just one of those days."

"Blimey, are they really that terrible?" He said, becoming teasing.

"No, that's just the thing. They wear you down though. I think I know why the FBI dumped them on us to evaluate now."

"What? Were they complaining and hassling you the whole time?"

"No actually. The man, agent Booth" she pointed him out as the one behind the desk on Lightman's screen "Was actually very charming. But he punched Loker out cold."

"That kid needs to learn to keep his mouth shut some times."

"And who's he going to learn that from? You?"

"Ok, so the guy knocked Loker out. HE still doesn't sound like too much of a handful." Lightman said, quickly changing the subject. Foster rolled her eyes, but let him off the hook.

"He wasn't the problem, really. It was the woman. Dr. Brennan." Again she identified her on the video Lightman had open. "I don't know what it was about her, but I couldn't see anything about her. Neither could Torres. And Our monitors didn't respond to anything she said either."

"What, are you saying she literally had no emotions?"

"She displayed no complex emotions at all. The only one we ever saw was anger, when Loker made a move on her, and when arguing with her 'partner'. But enough discussing it, you're going to want to see them tomorrow."


	16. Sixteenth Instalment

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_**Hope you all enjoy this one!**_

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**16. **

Sixteenth Instalment

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"Booth?"

"Yes, Bones?" He said pulling to a stop outside her apartment.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"I'll make do Bones, I'll probably check into a motel somewhere."

"You went and got your FBI vehicle back, but not you're apartment?"

"Bones, this may surprise you, but I only got in this morning." He gestured at the fatigues he was still wearing, although he knew she had a point. He could have renewed his lease a couple of days before returning, but for some reasons he had been reluctant to do so.

He knew Bones knew he was just making excuses, but what she said next surprised him. "You could just stay with me…" She paused, seeming to think more needed to be said "I mean, it's more logical than you having to pay for a hotel room or-"

"Thanks Bones."

"-And it's not like something friends don't do for each other, and I have the spare room and… what?"

"I said thanks Bones." He smiled at her, struggling to contain his laughter. Finally he couldn't take it any longer and broke down into hysterics.

"What?" She said, irritated now.

"You… you were babbling Bones!" he gasped through fits of laughter. "Never… thought… I'd… see the day…"

His laughter proved infectious, and soon they were both laughing uncontrollably in the parking lot of her apartment. It might have been a minute later, or an hour, but when they finally calmed down they moved up to her apartment in a comfortable silence. She smiled at the comfortable feeling of Booth's hand once more resting on the small of her back.


	17. Seventeenth Instalment

_**I'm hoping some more of you will hit that magic review button, love hearing everyone's feedback, Good, Bad or ugly **_**;)**

**~BV~**

* * *

**17.** Seventeenth Instalment

* * *

The chirping of an alarm penetrated Lightman's slumber. Well he hadn't been sleeping well, so it was no real loss. Checking the time, he saw that it was barely six in the morning.

Getting dressed he made for the door as quickly as he could, thanking his fore thought to have showered the night before.

Arriving at the Lightman group building a bare twenty minutes later, he found himself alone in his majestic building. Sighing slightly, he walked up to the panel of facial expressions in the hall and squinted at each one in turn, identifying them all.

"Is this your morning ritual?" He ignored Torres as she came in the door, and went to his office.

"Cal?"

"What is it?" he heard her stifling a laugh, and turned to face her. "What?" he demanded of Foster.

"I knew you'd get like this if you didn't get any sleep." She teased.

"What is it?" he said grumpily.

"Well, your hair's a mess, your tie is crooked and you're wearing odd socks" she smirked.

"Not me." He groaned. "What is it that you're bothering me about when you 'knew I'd be like this'."

"You do remember that you wanted to see those people the FBI has been having us investigate, right?"

"Yes."

"Well we're invited to the Jeffersonian so that we can observe them."

"How did you make them agree to that?"

"I didn't" she smiled. "They argued about it all the way to the door."

* * *

Brennan quietly slid into the kitchen, conscious of the fact that her partner was sleeping just a room across from her. She thought she'd fix them breakfast as nice surprise for him, since he was always bringing her food, but when she made it into the kitchen she saw he was already up in the living room.

"I thought you'd be tired after the flight." She whispered softly.

"I'm stuck on military regimen Bones, I can catch twenty minutes sleep whenever I need to, but I can't help wake up at the slightest noise, or the crack of dawn."

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"You deserve better."

"We all do, but there's nothing more you can do." He sighed, morosely. "Sometimes we just gotta make the best of what we've got. Speaking of the best there is, I made breakfast."

"You can't accurately claim to have made the best breakfast." She argued.

"Try it and see."

Sitting down at her table, at the head of the table with him on her side, she dug into the meal he'd prepared. The maple syrup was just the average product she bought from the supermarket, but it was fantastic with the pancakes he'd prepared.

"I still haven't got enough data to confirm your claim, but with the evidence generated by taste buds before me I'm finding it very hard to refute it."

"Aww, thanks Bones." He grinned cheezily at her.

"What for? I merely stated that-"

"You said it tasted good in squint-speak"

Not bothering to argue now, she merely cocked her head to the side and watched him. "I hypothesize that I did."

"You 'guess' that you did Bones. It's guess."

"But I didn't guess, I made an educated hypothesis." She said, defending her claim.

"There's just no winning with you is there?"


	18. Eighteenth Instalment

_**Is everyone enjyoing the ride so far? Coz we're on a collision course now **_**;)**

**~BV~  
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18.

Eighteenth Instalment

* * *

"There's really no reason for you to come into the Lab." Brennan said, hoping privately he'd disagree. "I mean, you still have time off…"

"And what would I do with my time off? I saw Parker already, but I can't spend anytime with him until the weekend. Besides, all the squints will be wanting to welcome me back, they're my friends too." Booth seemed rather surprised by the last admission, and he saw that Brennan was amused. "What are you smirking about?"

"Just something Cam once said; 'We'll make a squint out of him yet'. I find the phrase quite fitting."

"What? Oh hell no. You ain't never gonna get me squinting like you lot."

"But I've seen you Booth, the way you squint at people's faces, the way you squint at me…" Suddenly realizing what she'd said she fell silent, and Booth looked just as unwilling to address the subject.

It was right then however that Angela came flouncing into the lab, squealing when she saw Brennan. "Sweeetieeeee! So good to have you back!" She mustn't have seen Booth yet, for she continued to fuss over Brennan to her dismay.

"Angela, please. I'm fine. It's not like you haven't seen me in a year, you were there at the airport."

"But you look so well now Sweetie! That time off must have done you good, and now that you're back here it's official!"

Booth raised his eyebrows in surprise watching them talk. He hadn't known that Bones had taken time off between when she arrived back in DC and going back to work. Truth be told, he had almost been expecting to have to pry her away from her lab table and take her himself to meet him at the reflecting pool. Or was that his fantasy? Thoughts and feelings for his partner had gotten very mixed over his long year away.

"Angela… I'm fine, nothings changed between when I got here two days ago, and when I got here this morning."

"I bet it has! Did you find Booth? Is he why you are feeling so good?" She said sassily to Brennan. Behind them, Booth blushed.

"Yes, I met up with Booth, Ange, he got back from his flight yesterday."

"Yesterday?" she shrieked. "Where is he?"

"Right behind you." Booth breathed into her ear and laughed as Angela jumped and flushed, all in the one instant before returning to her usual flamboyant self.

"My studly, you just look better every time I see you!" And to his utter surprise, and to some degree hers, she kissed him.

Breaking away stuttering, Booth finally managed to squeak out "You're married Ange!"

"I know." She looked at him as if he was stupid.

"But… what about Jack?" Booth rambled, trying to make himself believe he hadn't enjoyed one of the seven sins.

"He'll get over it." She winked at him. "Besides I've wanted to do that every Christmas, just there's never any mistletoe around." As quick as she was, Angela missed the stolen glance between Booth and Brennan which told them exactly what the other was thinking about mistletoe on Christmas.

"Jack!" Brennan greeted warmly, breaking the sudden awkward silence between them.

"Dr. B! Good to see you back at work again, sorry I'm late, just couldn't find any room to park next to that great big SUV." Everyone in the room bar Jack, looked over at Booth, who shrugged sheepishly at the statement about his parking.  
"I mean you would think Booth's spirit is back to mess with us, or it's some government conspiracy to see if we can survive double parking again…" he rambled on walking further into the Lab. It was at that moment that he finally saw Booth, leaning against the other side of the platform, and he understood why Brennan and Ange were stifling giggles at his words.

"You know Hodgins, maybe, just for once; the reason why my car is parked out front is because I'm here?" Booth said sarcastically, and Hodgins had the good grace to look embarrassed.

"Well, uh, I guess that could be it…" he said nervously, and was stunned when Booth embraced him warmly.

"Good to see you again." Booth said, clasping his arm.

"You too man." Hodgins smiled, his normal manner returning.

"Seeley!" A sudden yell from the door caught everyone's attention.

"Oh yeah, shoulda warned you that Cam was coming in, she's a demon in the hunt for a parking lot." Hodgins said to Booth, grinning widely now. "Sweets was right behind her as well."

"Hey there Camille." Booth shouted back at her, watching her eyes spark furiously in response to her first name.

"You didn't call me at all? Couldn't even have messaged me?"

"Sorry Cam, but I was in Afghanistan. No phone, limited calls to family and only allowed to send a couple of messages to people. I wasn't exactly on holiday where you can be angry at me for not sending a postcard."

"But still, not one message?"

"I sent you a letter back around Christmas."

Cam looked stumped at that, and finally dropped her façade of being angry and hugged him tightly. "Glad you made it back, big man."

Booth broke away from her when he felt an urgent tapping on his shoulder. "Bones?" he asked turning to see what it was.

"It's Sweets," she whispered "I didn't call him at all…" she murmured.

"I sent a letter for us both on Christmas." Booth said, smiling softly.

"Oh." She didn't know whether to be thankful he had thought of that for her, or furious he had acted on her behalf. Finally deciding on the former she walked behind Booth to greet Sweets.

"Dude, you look like you've put on twenty pounds." Were the first words out of sweets mouth when Booth met him.

"I have." Booth said menacingly.

"No I meant that…" he swallowed nervously trailing off.

"Hey, it's good to see you man." Booth said relaxing.

"Awesome! I mean, it's good to see you again too. And you Dr. Brennan. Thanks for the letter at Christmas"

"I feel happy to see you again too Sweets."

"Thank you." He said softly smiling at them both. "So apart from the welcome back, why am I here? Do we have a case?"

"Well uh…" Booth floundered, lost for words, when suddenly the doors opened again.

"Sorry, am I interrupting the party? No? Good, because these guys will." Lightman strode in, just in front of two people wheeling in a body bag.


	19. Nineteenth Instalment

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_**One more before the big meet, I think.**_

**~BV~  
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19. Nineteenth Instalment

* * *

"Torres! Loker!"

"What is it?" Loker answered.

"Where's Torres?"

"Uh she's uh, in the bathroom, I think."

"We have a bathroom? Tell her to get out here; what I have is much more important than putting make up on. Especially since you messed it up the first time."

"Um… what did we mess up exactly?"

"These videos Reynolds sent. Look over them again. And again. And however many more times it takes before you can tell me what you missed." And with that he dumped the box in Lokers arms and turned away.

"Hey, Hey! Why aren't you looking through them if we messed it up." He asked, trying not to sound insulted.

"Because I've got a field trip to go on. Now stop standing around and go get Torres. Now!"

* * *

Lightman approached the large Jeffersonian building, curiously surveying the Lab area. He had taken Emily here a few times when she was younger, and he as much as her had been intrigued by the artefacts they had amassed here. Especially since he had quite a few of his own.

As he and Foster pulled up at the entrance to the Lab, they noticed the already crowded parking lot. "Bloody double parker's" he grumbled as he saw the large black SUV blocking the two front lots.

"You double park all the time." Foster pointed out.

"In _my_ company's car park. The arrogance of someone to double-park here astounds me."

"You never cease to amaze me." She snorted.

"Are you being sarcastic? It doesn't befit you."

"You earned it."

"That I did." He smiled ruefully. "Shall we go in, before this van cuts us off?"

"That's a coroner vehicle."

"It's still a great big bloody van." He complained, driving into the last available spot. "There should be a delivery entrance for them."

"Cal…" she said in a warning tone.

"Alright, alright! I get it. Just observe for now. You wanted to study them at work after all." They got out of the car and walked towards the entrance to the building. Behind them the noticed a trolley being unfolded and a body bag loaded onto it with extreme care.  
"Nice to see that they show care for the dead." He remarked.

Foster just rolled her eyes. As silence fell between them they walked in through the Lab doors to see a small group of people chatting just inside.

"Sorry, am I interrupting the party? No? Good, because these guys will." He said, just as the two coroner men followed them in.


	20. The Twentieth Instalment

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_**I hope everyone is still with me, we're only just getting started as far as the story is concernec, but it feels like we've come such a long way, at least to me! =P  
Please review! Thanks again everyone, you guys rock!**_

**~BV~  
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20. The Twentieth Instalment

* * *

Lightman strolled into the lab, taking in the impressive large modern structure. A behemoth of glass and steel, the sight was more or less what he'd been expecting but it was still remarkable.

"And just who are you?" the man who he had identified as Booth from the tapes approached him.

"I'm Dr. Lightman." He said grinning. "Nice place you've got here." He could tell the other man was irritated by his cavalier attitude.

"Special Agent Booth." He said by way of introduction. Lightman however ignored the gesture, seeing the beautiful dark-auburn haired woman behind him.

"And you must be the accomplished Dr. Brennan." He said moving past Booth, but never taking his eyes off him. He saw the way Booth's posture changed from irritated to wary in an instant, and seeing the look on his face - and the look of Loker's this morning - Lightman felt it was a good idea to back down.

He was however given no say in the matter and he watched dumbfounded as Dr. Brennan just moved past him straight over to where the men from the coroner were waiting. Deftly signing the release papers she wheeled the body bag over to the raised platform in the centre of the space, where all the other workers here had gathered.  
Looking behind him he saw Gillian smirking, and he realized she had known the partners would react like this, and he had played right into it.

* * *

"Dr. Foster, it's a pleasure to see you again." Booth said warmly, brushing off the extremely arrogant man who was standing before him, Lightmond or whatever he had said his name was.

"And you Agent Booth." She said warmly in return.

"So you wanted to observe us at work? Well I guess you got your wish, as long as your colleague doesn't get in the way." He said menacingly to the man who was strutting around the place. He noticed that Foster barely smothered a grin at his remark. Turning back to the other man, there was something about him which was familiar, but he couldn't place it. Putting his gut feeling aside he walked over to the platform where the rest of his squints were gathered.

"Ok, so it seems we have a body. Did anyone know about this?" He turned to the two Coroner employees, who were waiting nervously off to the side.

"We were just told to deliver this to you, from the morgue. They said you could make an I.D."

"I'm the FBI liaison here, if we have a case, someone is supposed to tell me."

"Believe me, we're just as creeped out. I mean we were sent off here with no reason or warning to deliver a body for you because we were 'ordered to'."

Sighing, Booth knew these two guys knew nothing about anything, but the whole situation just didn't feel right to him. "Ok guys, thanks. You can go now, just be around if we need to talk to you again." Nodding affirmative the two men left.

"Booth, we need to get to work." Turning to face Brennan he smiled nervously.

"Be careful… something about this just doesn't feel right."

"You're gut again?" she asked, her raised eyebrow clearly showing her opinion of his 'feeling'.

"Bones." He said sternly. "Think logically here. An unknown body bag just got dumped here, with no explanation or reason."

"Booth, we get anonymous bodies all the time."

"You're not listening Bones. Please, just take precautions."

"Booth, you've been in Afghanistan too long, the chances of-"

"Please?" he begged with his eyes; hurt flashing through him at her mention of his time in the Rangers again.

"Fine…" she muttered, but he knew she wasn't happy.

"Promise me you'll be careful." He whispered

"I'm always careful." Sighing he turned away, knowing he wouldn't get any more from her than that.

He could feel the two psychologists eyes on his back, and he turned to face them, stepping down off the platform towards them. "I hope you two are ready, coz this is where the fun begins."

* * *

Foster watched Booth and Brennan carefully as they interacted. She was stunned momentarily by the level of intimacy they shared and the implicit trust that came with that. She also saw that Cal was studying them as closely as she was, and she barely restrained a laugh at how they had rebuked him earlier. He was gonna have to try a completely new strategy of connecting with these two, they wouldn't be impressed by his accomplishments, cowed by his presence or even swayed by his arrogance. He would have to '_play nice_' and she thought it was hilarious.  
"Is there something in particular we ought to be ready for?" she asked Booth at his confusing statement.

"A long wait" he said, even more cryptically.

"Now you've got to give us something" Lightman protested.

"I thought you were the psychologist. Observe and answer the question for yourself." Booth chuckled and moved away, flipping open his phone.

"You two are psychologists?" A young man walked over to the two of them.

"And who are you?" Lightman snapped, turning the full extent of his personality to bear on the kid.

To her ever increasing amusement, even the kid didn't seem to be cowed by Lightman. "I'm Dr. Lance Sweets. I'm a psychologist too."

"Really?" Lightman asked mockingly.

"Yes, I got my degree when I… You're not really interested are you?"

"I'm afraid we already have multiple degrees in psychology." Lightman said grinning wolfishly.

Foster finally decided to take pity on the kid and introduced them. "I'm Dr. Gillian Foster… And my colleague here is Dr. Cal Lightman." She watched as the kid blanched, then recovered, trying to hide a broad grin.

"Wow… I mean awesome… I mean sorry… I mean… wow!"

"Sweets! Who are you bothering now?" Booth called across the room with unerring accuracy.

"Everything is fine agent Booth." Foster said. "We're just introducing ourselves."

"Well tell him to keep it down; I'm trying to speak to the director of the FBI." Booth yelled again, before walking into an office adjourning the main Lab area.

"Now I'm impressed." Lightman muttered sarcastically.

"Not now!" Foster hissed at him. "What are you trying to prove?"

"I'm trying to prove whether or not he's a traitor."

"Those tapes hardly prove anything one way or another." She murmured, her temper snapping.

"They prove that someone his watching him for reasons other than why you can't take your eyes off him." He shot back

"Um… What tapes? Who's the traitor?" Sweets swallowed nervously next to them. "I mean I haven't done anything…"

* * *

"So Bren…" Angela sauntered up to her.

"What is it Ange?"

"Honey, I'm beginning to think that there are some things you will just never understand." Angela sighed.

"I don't know what you mean Ange. I have a very steep learning curve, I am a genius, and I'm capable of learning anything."

"Okay sweetie no need to show off." Angela winked for no apparent reason at her.

"But I'm not…"

"Okay. Changing subjects now…"

"What did you want to talk about Angela?" she asked, as her friend seemed to be waiting for some response from her.

"Well first things first, I want to know how you and Booth got here so fast with only one car-" Angela seemed irritated by something, and she was making an exaggerated show of 'whining' as Booth had defined the action.

"-He stayed with me last night-" Brennan cut in, as Angela continued her rant.

"-And I want to know… wait. What? Oh my god Sweetie!" She squealed, pausing her rant only to begin again in tone reminiscent of Daisy Wick. "What happened? Did you… are you?"

"I am sure I have no idea what you just said Ange."

"Did you finally have sex with Booth?" Angela asked taking the direct approach.

"No, of course not. We're just partners, and friends Ange. It was logical of him to stay with me after he got back, as he doesn't have an apartment of his own yet."

"Woah! You mean he's still staying with you?"

"Yes, I anticipate that it might take a week at least for Booth to find suitable long-term accommodation, and staying with me is better than at some motel. Besides, isn't that what friends do? Help each other with things like this?" Brennan asked, just a tad insecure in her actions.

"Oh Bren, honey, you're a great fried, and so is Booth, just you're staying in the same apartment – your apartment – and he is sooo hot… how are you not sleeping with him?" Angela implored of her.

"Angela…"

"Fine Sweetie, I know the drill, you're just partners. But now back to the issue at hand, who are the two people wandering around here with Sweets?" Angela asked curiously, her watchful eye now checking out the two psychologists.

"Oh. Those two are psychologists of some sort from the Lightman group, who the FBI is using to re-evaluate us. Apparently Booth and I aren't allowed to return to being partners without passing their test."

"And what exactly are they testing you on?"

"I don't know. They just asked to observe us working together."

"Hmm… I think I'm going to go talk to these two 'Lightman' people." Angela muttered darkly, instinctively distrusting anyone who tried to meddle with Bren, and Booth. "What kind of name is Lightman anyway? A little bit self righteous for a group of psychologists."

"I think one of them is called Lightman," Brennan corrected.

"Well it's got nothing on 'Montenegro'" She said winking again. "If you need me Sweetie, I'll probably be in my office."

"Of course Ange. Now if you excuse me. Booth insisted that I take the full precautions with these remains, which means I need to get into a hazmat suit."

"Don't be so annoyed with him Sweetie. And I agree with him, there is something fishy about this. Be careful."

"That's easy for you to say Angela; you don't have to wear this suit." Laughing Angela walked away from the change room, leaving a confused Brennan in her wake. She didn't see what was so funny.

* * *

Lightman was eyeing Sweets cautiously, watching the expressions of fear and confusion cross his face. "Was I talking to you, or more to the point should I be talking to you?" He said intimidatingly, aiming to scare the kid off. Sweets for his part, reacted as expected, looking startled and nervous again, he physically backed away from him and foster. Lightman smiled at the evidence that he could still manipulate people better than the current government with the power of his reputation.  
"And that's how you avoid awkward questions." He whispered cockily to Foster.

Foster ignored him however, turning back to Sweets. "I take it you've heard of us?"

"Oh. Well yeah. Of course. You're _that_ Lightman group. You're pretty well known around the FBI, and I heard about you're work while studying… especially yours doctor Foster, your studies on behavioural psychology set the benchmark for modern profiling."

"Thank you." Foster said smirking at Lightman at the praise.

"And of course we learnt all about Dr. Lightman's voodoo psychology." Sweets continued unerringly. "Personally I thought the facial expressions ting was awesome but…"

"Voodoo psychology?" Lightman asked sarcastically, glaring at Sweets.

"Oh, um, sorry. That's just what… well it's what the lecturer used to refer to your um… work… as." Sweets mumbled, only now realizing what he'd said.

A loud peal of laughter interrupted his glare, as he looked back he saw Foster struggling to keep her mirth under control. "It looks like the three of you are having a good time." Lightman turned again, feeling almost like a cornered animal as he saw a tall beautiful brunette walking towards them.

Smiling charmingly now Lightman addressed her. "Dr. Cal Lightman, and who are you?"

"Angela Montenegro." She said "Mrs." She added as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Right you are" Lightman said still smiling. "Feels like we know everyone already. What exactly, do the two of you do here again?" he asked looking between Sweets and Angela.

"Oh. I work for the FBI." Sweets said unhelpfully.

"I'm a forensic artist" Angela answered. "Lance over there" she winked as he went red at the mention of his first name "Is a psychologist and profiler. He works with Booth and Bren; he's kinda like their counsellor. He also helps with cases every now and then."

Lightman noticed Sweets twisting nervously as Angela introduced him, and he realized that Sweets was the psychologist who had evaluated the partners before them. "Oh so it's you that we're replacing?" Lightman said grinning wickedly, capitalizing on his new found information. He saw Sweets start again, and he new that he was feeling guilty. "Oh, so you didn't tell them?" Lightman asked again, reading his every expression.

"What is he talking about Sweets?"

"Well, Booth and uh, Dr. Brennan aren't allowed to work together…"

"Yeah Bren told me as much… Oh wait, you knew?" She accused.

"Well, kind of… You see, I'm not allowed to counsel them anymore… because I'm to close to them… I didn't know the FBI would hire the Lightman Group to evaluate them though."

"Why didn't you… You know what never mind." Angela turned to face Lightman and Foster squarely now. "Don't mess with them, their partnership means a lot to them." She said warningly.

* * *

Brennan walked back into the Lab in a hazmat suit now, and was met by Hodgins in a similar one. "You know I don't think this is what Booth meant when he said be careful." He grumbled.

"Hodgins, he clearly said take all precautions."

"But does he even know we have these precautions? Brennan gave him a hard look that clearly said she wouldn't take any argument. Despite how much she was annoyed by Booth's overprotective tendencies, she knew that logically he had a point, and that Jeffersonian protocol, although he didn't know it, specified they act with full precaution in a situation like this. So it was into a hazmat suit and then the sealed examination room.

"Where's Dr. Saroyan?" Brennan asked entering the room, side by side with Hodgins.

"I'm already here, thank you for asking." Cam said dryly through the helmet on her suit, although the effect was rather wasted because of the way the sound was muffled.

"Okay then, let's begin." Brennan said, moving to unzip the body bag.

* * *

Booth was sitting in Brennan's office looking over the paperwork that had come with the body. Although checking paperwork was not normally a past time of his, with nothing else to do he found himself idly checking it.  
The body was listed as a john doe; no one had been able to identify it to date. In the coroners report it stated that the body had been found largely decomposed in a large container containing an aqueous solution of Isopropanol, Butoxyethanol, Ethylene and glycol n-hexyl ether. The chemical formula meant nothing to Booth, it might as well have been written in French for his ability to read it, but as he looked closer at the photocopy of the report there was a small handwritten annotation. 'Window Cleaner' it read.  
The words meant something to Booth, his gut was churning at something, but he just couldn't quite place it. He was walking out into the Lab when it struck him. "Sh*t. Bones!" he cursed, and broke into a run for the exam room.

* * *

"Now why would you say that?" Foster asked Angela, seemingly more curious than intimidated by the artist's anger.

"You really don't know much about them do you?"

"Well why don't you enlighten us then?" Lightman asked, after carefully observing Angela. She genuinely seemed upset by his and Foster's presence, and her defensive posturing was showing that she considered them a threat. But to what?

"You're the psychologists, you figure it out." She said stalking off.

"I'm sorry about her, she's just, well she's Angela. She's difficult." Sweets said shrugging.

"She's honest." Lightman said staring at her as she walked away.

"Dude, she's married to Hodgins, for the second time, I think."

"What do you mean?" Foster asked.

"Well, it's um kinda complicated."

"Well we got time to listen kid. And since you're the only one willing to talk to us, go ahead. Who is Hodgins by the way?" Lightman said grinning again, but far less menacingly this time.

"Dr. Hodgins is the Entomologist here. Among other things."

"Among other things?" Foster queried.

"Well he's actually got three doctorates, I'm just mot to sure what in. He's also a raving conspiracy theorist. He'll love you guys when you meet him."

"Well, in my experience, I find that a man, who looks to find conspiracy everywhere he looks, tends to find it." Lightman said, watching Sweets shrug again.

"I dunno. Anyway, He was going to marry Angela before, but then she was already married to some Fijian guy who she jumped over a broom with, and then they divorced, and she and Hodgins did, and then they got married in Jail last year."

"Blimey, she didn't look insane when I saw her." Cal said turning back to see if he could see Angela again.

"You really can't tell with Angela." Sweets said knowingly.

"You know, I'm beginning to see what Booth meant about this place being a psychologists dream." Foster muttered "or rather, nightmare."

Sweets looked set to speak again, when suddenly a loud curse was heard from Brennan's office, and they were met with the sight of Booth running across the Lab. In the moment Lightman saw his face, he recognized the fear and guilt as suddenly a loud siren erupted and the lights flashed red. "Well that doesn't sound good!" Lightman yelled over the klaxon. "What the bloody hell happened!"

Maybe a minute later Booth returned to the group, where Angela was now waiting as well, anxiously. "We're in lockdown."


	21. TwentyFirst Instalment

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_**And now the plot really thickens! =)**_

**~BV~  
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21. Twenty-first Instalment

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Loker sat at his computer, with Torres behind him as together the re-watched the fourth tape in the series Reynolds had left them. "You think Lightman is pissed with us for not doing this properly the first time, or something else?"

"I dunno, it's Lightman. He's like pissed at everybody." Torres grumbled. She had wanted to be studying Dr. Brennan at the Jeffersonian today. There was just something about that woman which irked her.

"Well, he's almost never angry at Foster or Emily."

"That's because they're Foster and Emily." Torres pointed out.

"Well done genius, I can see you are using your powers observation."

"What? Oh sorry. I'm just thinking about that Brennan woman. There is something about her…"

"Well let me put it this way, if we sort through all these tapes fast enough maybe Foster will take you along next time."

"Right." She said sarcastically, and Loker rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Rhea, we obviously missed something here, and Lightman won't let us off the hook tile we can show him what it was!"

"Hang on." She said, her eyes sparking.

"What is it now?"

"How did Lightman know?"

"Know what?"

"Who Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth were."

"I don't follow…" Loker said, confused.

"Ok, between yesterday and this morning Lightman _knew _about them."

"Well no duh, he probably talked to Foster last night." Loker pointed out

"But I swear I saw recognition on his face, when I said the names, he identified them with a picture."

"Ok, say you're right. Say he did know them. Let's say he saw them somewhere. Where?"

"Look here." Torres re-winded back to the first tape, where all they could see was the back of the head of a tall dark haired man. "Does he look familiar?"

"I guess a little bit. Can't really make anything out though, he's sitting down and we can't see his face."

"Look, there!" she pointed out a slight movement of the man's hand on the tape, no more than the twitching of his thumb. "Bring up the footage of Booth's interview."

Loker did. "Jesus, it's the same gesture. How did you spot that?" Sure enough on the recording of the interview in their room, Booth made the exact same gesture just as Foster asked him about the nature of his partnership with Brennan. "He's nervous." Loker pointed out.

"Yeah, but who is he talking too?"

"No idea, but he's on every one of the tapes" Loker said, doing a quick search of them all.

"What about Brennan?"

"What about her?"

"Is she on any of the tapes?"

"No… wait yes." Loker said, eyebrows rising as a hit came up for the fourth tape.

"Play it."

"Thank you for the order, boss." Loker said drily, as he began rolling the tape.

The fourth tape was obviously pulled from a wide angle security camera. It overlooked a large central platform in an open area of what looked like a large laboratory, it was an impressive steel and glass structure, and both Loker figured it must be the Jeffersonian Institute where Brennan worked, as she was clearly visible centre screen on the platform. Suddenly another striking woman moved up to the platform beside Booth, the same one who had been on the second and third videos. She was only on screen for a moment before she moved off while Booth approached Brennan and whispered something into her ear. Brennan smiled softly, and somewhat sadly as he reached to pat her on the back, but then seemed to think better of it and walked out after the other woman.

That was where the tape ended, but the computer noted something. Highlighting the computers area of interest it recognized the same man who had been in every tape so far through the glass on far side of the building, with two other men on either side of him. As the video ran he paced once up the length of the camera's field of vision before getting into a car just visible and driving off.  
"What the heck?" Loker said. "Who the hell is that guy? It's like he's stalking them or something."

"Hmm..." Torres murmured thinking "And what is going on between Booth, Brennan and that other woman?"

"No Idea, but it's safe to say we know what we've been missing in these tapes now."


	22. TwentySecond Instalment

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_**Enjoy, as we get stuck into things =)**_

**~BV~  
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22. Twenty-Second Instalment

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Brennan slowly slid the zipper on the body bag down, and all hell seemed to break loose. Immediately the air filter alarms went off, and the air filter in the examination room shut down. The loud ringing of the alarm could be heard through out the lab as it went into lock down. Moments later Booth was at the door, although how he got there so quick was a mystery to her.

"Bones!" she could just make out him yelling through the dorr and the noise of everything around her. Rushing to the door she placed her gloved hand on the glass porthole subconsciously. His hand moved to meet hers. "I knew there was something off…" he said, regret filling his voice. "I read the paperwork and I realized it was a trap. I'm sorry Bones."

"Booth, you are the one who made us take these precautions, if it weren't for you, and if this gas is what I think it is then we'd all be dead." She gestured to him, herself, Cam and Hodgins in the room behind her.

"But I could have prevented this."

"You did."

"Alright Bones. You be careful in there ok?"

"Booth, we'll be fine until the oxygen in these suits runs out."

"What!"

"Relax; we have six hours at least. A team will arrive to safely release us, or refill our air if needed."

"Ok then. Can you examine the body there?

"Yes, barring any further developments we will begin our examination now. What was it exactly that lead you to think that the body was a set up?"

"Just something I read in the report. A coincidence."

"But you said there is no such thing as-"

"-Coincidences in a murder investigation, I know. I'll tell you later, right now I gotta reassure the masses." Reluctantly he moved away, his hand the last thing to leave the glass where it was pressed against hers.

She remained rooted in place for long moments later, her hand still resting where his had before. "You didn't tell him, did you?" Cam said gesturing to a small warning monitor flashing in the side of the room.

"No need to make him worry more." Brennan said coolly dismissing the warning. "Besides, it's not a problem until we need more air."

"Alright Dr. Brennan. But I am not going to be the one telling him we performed our examination in a room full of anthrax."

"Shotty not!" Hodgins called from where he was by the open body bag. "And now that we've sorted that out, I think you guys need to take a look at this." He was holding up a piece of paper.  
On it was a cartoon stick figure drawing of a person gagging, and one word. 'Surprise'


	23. TwentyThird Instalment

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_**Well here's another one for all your enjoyment...**_

**~BV~  
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23. Twenty-Third Instalment

* * *

"We're in lockdown." Booth said, trying to be as calm as he could under the situation.

"Spores again?" Angela asked hopefully, but Booth knew already that this was more serious than the Christmas incident of six years ago.

"No, this is a real threat this time Angela." Booth said, his own anxiety showing now.

"Okay, when you say 'threat' would you care to tell us what the hell is going on?" Lightman growled. He was acting more stressed than he was, trying to gauge how Booth would react to this new crisis. He was impressed that he was as calm as he was.

"Something was put in the body bag with the body which has set off the Jeffersonian's air filter system.

"Just about anything can set it off…" Angela said hopefully, "I mean once we were stuck in here at Christmas when spores set it off."

Lightman looked between Booth and Angela and could see that neither believed that story, as much as they wanted too. "Neither of you believe that. Why don't you tell us what is really happening." He said angrily, gesturing to himself and Foster.

"Is this your case now?" Booth asked, his own temper rising again at Lightman's presumptuous words.

"Are we, or are we not trapped in the same f*cking building?"

"And what help could you possibly be, in or outside this building?" Booth hissed back, not giving an inch.

"Try me and you'll see."

"What the hell is it that you do?" Booth asked, staring disbelievingly at him.

"I read people." He grinned back. "You're just going to have to trust me."

Booth stared long at him, and Lightman actually felt like he was under intense scrutiny. Sweets had been completely forgotten by everyone, and he was practically catatonic with shock. Finally, it could have been moments or minutes later, Booth seemed to have found what he was looking for in Lightman, and his shoulders sagged.

"I'm going to trust you he said," still regarding him warily. "I just hope I'm not making a mistake."

"It's only a mistake if you have something to hide." Lightman replied flippantly. "So what is going on?" His question was permeated by the sudden cease of the alarms.

"I think someone wants us dead." He said sighing, looking from Lightman to Angela and Sweets.

"What?" Sweets spluttered.

"Keep up with the program kid, what are you ten?"

"Agent Booth-" Sweets tried to muster his most imperious tone

"Lose the attitude Sweets." Booth said, completely unfazed.

"What do you mean, 'someone wants you dead'?" Foster asked.

"Well I piss a lot of people off. Bad guys." He added as he saw Lightman smirk. "on one of our cases last year I had a run in with a Russian mobster. We didn't have anything on him, but he's definitely working illegal smuggling." Seeing that he'd have to explain more to everyone at their confused expressions, and Lightman's interested one, he began again. "The guy's name is Dmitri Vladov. He's on the FBI watch list for importing Vodka with food dye in it as window cleaner, among other things, but no one's managed to get any evidence for it. In fact this body may be the first solid lead we have."

"Um, forgive me for asking but how exactly is this body connected to our mobster?" Sweets asked.

"Well the coroners report said the body was found decomposed in a large container containing an aqueous solution of Isopropanol, Butoxyethanol, Ethylene and glycol n-hexyl ether." Booth quoted the report, smirking as he saw the stunned looks on Sweets' and Angela's faces, and the confused ones on Lightman's and Foster's. "It's Window Cleaner guys." He said, trying to keep a straight face.

"I still don't see it." Sweets said.

"Well it just seemed like to much of a coincidence to me, and since I prodded this man, left the country and only now have returned I guess he's just trying to take a shot at me."

"It just seems like too much of a-"

"-Coincidence?" Booth finished for Angela. "There is no such thing as a coincidence in a murder investigation."

* * *

"So, uh, Dr Brennan… How was your time away?" Brennan raised her head in irritation and glared at Cam. She had been just about to start her examination, and she hated interruptions.  
Hodgins was making a strange exaggerated cutting gesture at his neck, and Brennan glared at him in turn. "Something wrong Dr. Hodgins?" She was 'all business' as Booth would say when she was working, although she didn't see what business had to do with it. She just valued being focused when she worked. And she hated distractions.

"Uh, no. Everything's fine. Was just trying to get Cams attention." He mumbled, the sound almost unintelligible through the suit."

"Well please try to go about it in a silent and less ridiculous manner." She said, looking back to the skeleton before her, glad that everyone understood her now. Slowly she began to remove the bones from the body bag with exaggerated care and placing them on the examination table.

She didn't notice as Hodgins quietly sidled over to cam and pulled her over to the back of the room. "Dude, if you interrupt her, she will eat you alive." Hodgins whispered, only half joking.

"I'm tempted to just step out of this suit now and take my chances with the Anthrax." Cam replied.

"Look as bad as Dr. B. in work mode can be, Anthrax is far worse."

"I think death would be less painful than pissing her off again." Cam muttered.

"Believe me; I've seen the results of Anthrax," Hodgins said noticeably shuddering through the suit "Don't take that mask off."

Sighing Cam moved back over to the examination table to watch Brennan's progress, all the while thinking _it's going to be a long six hours…_


	24. TwentyFourth Instalment

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_**Reynolds... where art thou Reynolds? =P**_

**~BV~  
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24. Twenty-Fourth Instalment

* * *

"Look at this video here." Loker had picked a standout to him, but he wanted another opinion.

"Urgh, it's not like we haven't already watched an hour of these, what more is a couple of minutes gonna do?" Torres complained.

"Just take a look at this one."

"Fine." Once she sat down beside him, Loker played the tape.

The same Russian man who had been on every tape so far appeared again. This time however they had a long close up of the man's face, and Loker paused the tape so that they could see his every feature. He was tall, with short spiky blond hair, and he looked young, in his late twenties now that they could see him up close.

"Ok, that's good enough to find an ID." Torres pointed out. "The other tapes were a bit grainy, or all partial, but this is the first solid shot of him we've gotten all along."

"Yeah, I know. I'm already running it now. We'll know if we get any matches." Loker resumed the tape.

A tall dark haired man was now visible walking just ahead of him as the cameras vision widened. The camera zoomed in on the other man now, who was making his way towards a dark SUV parked several yards away up the road. He looked like he was just coming out of his apartment building.

"That's Booth" Torres pointed

"Thank you captain obvious." Loker said, absent-mindedly rubbing his jaw where Booth had hit him.

Booth was making his way towards his SUV parked up the street as the Russian began to walk in the opposite direction towards him. There, right as they passed each other, the Russian bumped Booth slightly, and watching it slowly they could see that he was putting something Booth's pocket. They both kept walking then, seemingly noticing nothing. Booth got in his car and drove away; the Russian disappeared into the crowd of people further down the road.

"So what did you make of that?" Loker asked

"I saw the drop, and either he was expecting it or didn't notice it, there was no surprise on his face."

"He had to have been expecting it."

"Are saying that just coz he punched you? 'Coz Lightman punched you too." Torres said, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

"That was a misunderstanding. And he invited me over for a beer later." Seeing Torres's unconvinced expression he added "Emily kissed me."

"You just avoided the question." She said, trying to control her laughter.

Loker was having none of it. "I'm calling Lightman now; he should know that Booth is a dirty cop."

"That he _may_ be a dirty cop." Torres stressed.

"Are you saying that just because he's charming and attractive?" Loker shot back

"I dunno, are you jealous?" she taunted

"Wouldn't you like to know." He grunted reaching for the phone.

* * *

"So what do you know about this Dmitri Vladov?" Lightman asked pulling Booth aside.

"Not much, to be honest. It was never my case. Why are you so interested in this, I thought you were here just to observe how Bones and I work together?"

"That's why she's here." Lightman grinned, pointing at Foster.

"So level with me, why are you here?"

"Do you know an FBI agent named Reynolds?"

"Ben Reynolds, wait you're that group? Those psycho-mind readers?" Booth laughed. "And I thought you were almost normal."

"How well do you know Reynolds?"

"He's a friend, and a good guy. One of few people you can really count on around the Hoover."

"He's no bureaucrat, I'll agree with you there."

"You say that like you have had experience with them." Booth said, watching Lightman closely.

Lightman had that feeling of being under scrutiny again, and then what Booth said registered. "How did you know that?"

"What?"

"I connected your statement with a memory, how did you know that?"

"I'm not sure I understand. You just looked like-"

"-I was remembering something. Yes, but that was a micro expression, and memory association is the fastest of them, it takes place in a twentieth of a second. Have you been trained to read them?" Lightman said, pouncing.

"Now I have no idea what you're squint-talking about." Booth answered, completely baffled by the sudden change in the conversation. "How did we even get to this? And what's this got to do with Reynolds?"

Lightman however, was no longer listening. "Foster!" he called, walking towards were and abruptly pulling her away from her conversation with Angela.

"What the heck was that about?" Sweets murmured, sidling over to Booth.

"No idea." He replied "He was making less sense than you."

"Gee, thanks." Sweets muttered.

* * *

"What is wrong with you Cal?"

"Did you know Booth was a natural at reading micro expressions?" he asked, ignoring her.

"I wasn't sure. I suspected that he might have had some micro expression training, working for the FBI and all. He was very perceptive in our interview, but I wasn't being guarded."

"He's a natural alright. And damn good. He spotted the fastest micro expressions I had, and he judged whether or not I was being truthful when I said he could trust me."

"But just being able to naturally see micro expressions doesn't mean that you can determine truth." Foster pointed out.

"I know, he has learnt how to do it. On his own."

"Oh I sense where this is going. You want to study him."

"And his partner. There's something about them both…"

"This isn't a scientific study, Cal. Remember Ben is missing."

"I know Gillian. And they are all involved somehow, everything is connected."

"What makes you so sure?" she asked uncertainly.

"There are no coincidences in a murder investigation" he grinned.

"Well what can we do while we're stuck in this lockdown?" She sighed, giving in to him again. He was probably right, she assured herself.

"Get involved." He said, smiling wolfishly.


	25. TwentyFifth Instalment

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_**Two in one day... I almost can't believe it ;)**_

**~BV~  
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25. Twenty-Fifth Instalment

* * *

Lightman was just heading back to Booth when his phone started ringing. Choosing to ignore it for the meantime, he addressed the agent. "So we were talking about Ben Reynolds."

"Well I was." Booth muttered "God knows what you were on about."

"Well now that's beside the point."

"You seemed pretty worked up."

"It's a conversation for another day." Lightman said, grinning broadly. "Perhaps if we get to know each other a little better we may even make it to that day."

"You could just say 'I don't want to talk about it'" Booth grumbled.

"I did."

"It's always the British" Booth moaned.

Lightman's phone seemed to choose that moment to start ringing again.

* * *

Booth rolled his eyes as Lightman's phone rang again. "You better take that, it'll be important of they're ringing you now."

"It had better be, or Loker will be finding himself a new job this time." He said, clicking his phone open. Booth could only hear Lightman's end of the conversation, as he answered the phone. "Loker?"

"…"

"Of course it would be you." Lightman harrumphed "Now stop stalling and tell me what this is about."

"…" Loker said something short,

"Yeah, he's standing right in front of me." From Lightman's answer it was obviously about him Booth realized, eyes narrowing.

"…"

"You better not be letting your feelings influence you here at all." Lightman growled.

"…"

"You better have evidence to back this up."

"…"

"No I don't want to hear Torres's word. Get back to work." Lightman snapped the phone shut, glaring at Booth suspiciously now, who was watching Lightman rising suspicions of his own.  
"You and me need to talk." Lightman said, "Privately" and for once Booth didn't argue, and simply lead the way into Brennan's office.

* * *

"Well that went well," Torres smirked to a shaken Loker.

"He seemed pretty pissed."

"I wonder why?"

"Sarcasm is not appreciated Rhea."

"I think you're rushing into this still." She stated.

"It's better Lightman know what we think now, rather than have our evidence too late."

"Well you better find some good evidence." She said.

"Okay, even if he isn't a dirty cop, someone is going to an extraordinary length to frame him," He said worriedly "So if we can even prove that then we might be able to get somewhere with these two."

"Wait, so this is all about our evaluation of them?"

"Don't be naïve, there is obviously way more going on than Lightman is telling us, but we'll never get anything out of him. These two we just might." He said referring to Booth and Brennan.

"That's the first good idea you've had all day." Torres nodded approvingly.

"And you've been no help at all." He smirked.

"Ok, I concede that." She smiled sitting down beside him and began looking at the next tape.

* * *

Brennan was hunched over the skeleton infront of her, she had gone over every done, but had insofar been able to spot a single mar. It could have almost been an accidental death, and she would have conceded that as the logical explanation if the body hadn't been loaded with anthrax.

She figured now that they'd been here just over three hours, It was approaching the time when Booth would shepherd her off to lunch, but that wouldn't be happening today. "Hodgins?" she asked, dropping the title in their present situation.

"Yeah Dr B?"

"Have you had any luck with those spores?"

"Well I can tell you they're not American."

"What do you mean?" Cam asked, eagerly joining in on the first conversation in hours.

"Well Anthrax is a naturally occurring bacterium, and is native in some parts to the U.S. In its native form it isn't all that dangerous, there is an effective antidote which ninety eight percent effective. And while it does cause widespread damage to livestock which if infected will die, but as far as it goes with people we are more than capable of treating it."

"Try and keep it concise." Brennan said.

"Wouldn't want you running out of oxygen." Cam added, and the others glared at her.

"Right. Well anyway, anthrax spores are very hard to kill, and while the vaccine is effective against naturally occurring anthrax, this stuff" he gestured to the air around him "is weaponized. That means it's been genetically modified to resist vaccines, and it is way harder to kill. Heck, this stuff has even been known to survive some amounts irradiating, which we wouldn't."

"You said this stuff is already hard to kill right?" Cam asked nervously. Hodgins nodded.

"Can you determine it's origin?" Brennan asked, trying to maintain her logical outlook.

"Oh yeah. That's just the thing" Hodgins said "IT wasn't really all that hard. I mean this is old anthrax."

"Ok, explain that for those of us who don't have botany degrees." Cam said in frustration.

"This stuff is almost identical to old Soviet bio-weapon anthrax. It is a direct genetic descendant from strains that were identified and destroyed by the UN after the signing of the biological weapon Convention"

"Ok, we've officially strayed into one of your fantasies." Cam said.

"Quite the conspiracy isn't it? Secret manufacturing of old cold war biological weapons." Hodgins said, grinning despite the situation.

"Trust you to find something exciting about being trapped in an Anthrax filled room."

"I don't think it's a conspiracy." Brennan said, shaking her head.

"Ok then, what's your theory Dr. B?"

"Logically this came from someone who had access to old soviet weaponry, so we can conclude that whoever planned this attack has been to or is from Russia."


	26. TwentySixth Instalment

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_**A Landmark conversation between the two G-men of our favourite shows ;)**_

**~BV~  
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26. Twenty-Sixth Instalment

* * *

"You wanted to talk?" Booth asked, the moment they were in the privacy of Brennan's office.

"No, I want you to talk."

"What about?" Booth said sighing.

"Well I'd like to know everything from the start, but since we don't have time for that, I guess I'm going to have to ask direct questions."

Booth didn't reply.

Grunting he continued. "Ok, so why did you leave a year ago for Afghanistan?"

It was obvious the question surprised Booth. "That's what you want to know about?"

"It's where I want to start."

"Right. Well uh… I'm not sure, The army offered a promotion…"

"Stop right there." Lightman cut in. "Now the truth. It's obvious you don't give jack sh*t about the army."

"I served this country!" Booth retorted.

"That's pride in your country, or patriotism. Which is true, you are patriotic. You just definitely didn't return to the army because they offered you a promotion."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"Now that's avoiding the question."

"Alright fine! I joined the army again because my partner was going to Maluku! I have no family, no purpose, no life here without that. My own son wanted me to rejoin because I could save lives!" Booth burst out "Happy now?" he hissed.

"Well now we're getting to the truth. What exactly do you feel for your partner, the beautiful Dr. Brennan?" Lightman stressed.

"What do you feel for Dr. Foster?" Booth shot back. Both men were on their feet, faces barely an inch apart, and neither was backing down. Lightman had pressed all Booth's buttons, but he was not expecting the way Booth pushed back. And kept pushing. "For a best friend you are very devoted puppy." Booth said snidely.

Regaining some control, Lightman tried to brush it off. "My feelings are not important here."

"They're important if you're going to work with us." Booth spat.

"So does your partner know how you feel?" Lightman taunted.

"YES!" Booth yelled, before suddenly collapsing back onto the couch, defeated. He looked ten years older in that moment, a broken vessel, held together by his morals only.

"Are you a traitor?"

"What?" Booth said, eyes opening in outrage and disbelief. "You did not just ask that."

"I did actually, but you answered already." Lightman said sitting down beside Booth. "Now lets talk."

"Oh, what about?" Booth said sarcastically. "My life or yours?"

"I was involved with the army once."

"Really?" Booth asked, his curiosity overcoming his anger and irritation.

"Through MI6. I was involved in the conflict in Bosnia."

"Kosovo, in ninety-eight and ninety-nine. Second Ranger battalion. My second deployment." Booth said reminiscing.

"Yeah, I was sent in as a negotiator, with the royal marines. We both know how that went. So believe when I say I know what you went through."

"Do you?" Booth asked, turning to look directly at Lightman's face. "Did you ever have to centre your sights on another human being, squeeze the trigger and watch as you ripped them apart?" Booth asked, disgust and shame in his voice.

"Yes, I killed three men, to save myself then." Lightman said, meeting Booth's gaze. Booth looked away, but Lightman pressed. "How many?"

"My record says forty nine."

Lightman recognized the distancing language that Booth used; trying to dissociate himself from his actions. He let him, some things it was better that the mind distance itself from.

"So why did you ask if I was a traitor?" Booth asked, all hostility gone from his voice.

Sighing Lightman began to recant his view of events. "I work with Ben Reynolds, as you know," he said grinning a little at Booth. "Anyway, a month ago I left for England, to do some work their, meet family, you get the idea." Booth nodded his affirmation. "Well I got back a couple of days ago, to find Agent Reynolds missing. No one has seen him for two weeks, and the last time he was seen by anyone I know, he ran a collection of surveillance tapes past a couple of my younger employees."

"And what is this gotta do with me?"

"Well without fail everyone of these tapes featured some young Russian bloke, and most of them had you as well."

"What!" Booth exclaimed.

"They are obviously FBI observation tapes, and they make you look like a dirty cop."

"I would never!" Booth said furiously.

"I believe you." Lightman assured. "Which is a good thing. Because at the moment my testimony is all you've got going for you. Someone is going to an awful long length to frame you."

"Frame me? For what?"

"I don't know. And that's why I was hoping to find Reynolds, because he's the only one who I know who knows what these tapes are about, what the whole investigation is about."

"But how is that related to this attack on the lab?"

"I dunno, but I'll find out."

"I'm the Agent in charge here." Booth said, returning to his usual irritated expression with Lightman.

"The only thing you're going to be charged with is corruption." Lightman argued. "No one is going to take your word bar me, with the evidence against you."

"You don't know my squints." He said cockily. "Have your lackeys send a copy of those tapes to Angela, if there is anything off about them, she'll find it."

"You have extraordinary faith in you 'squints'" Lightman observed.

"You have a lot in Foster." He retorted, clearly reading the look on Lightman's face. "Now I gotta go check on Bones," He said, striding out of the office, ignoring the glances Sweets and Foster threw his way.


	27. TwentySeventh Instalment

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_**A quirky little conversation amidst the tension building around us with the case. )  
Note to remember; that no one outside the examination room (everyone apart from Cam, Brennan and Hodgins) are aware that there is anthrax... **_

**~BV~  
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27. Twenty-Seventh Instalment

* * *

"What was that about?" Foster asked, as soon as Lightman walked out of the office, behind Booth.

"Gotta seriously talk some sense into Torres." He mumbled, instead of answering.

"Ok, just because I don't have your 'mystical abilities' is no reason for you to be intentionally Evasive."

"Coming from the woman who dated the spy."

"He works for the DEA." Foster defended. "And you aren't going to lure me off topic like that. What were the two of you talking about? And what did Loker call with?"

"I put him and Torres on watching those tapes." He explained to Foster. "They all seem to be trying to set Agent Booth up."

"He's being framed? What for?" She didn't question his statement. If Cal believed the man was innocent, he was innocent.

"I don't know, the FBI won't give me access to the damn case."

"So what do we do?"

"We try to find Reynolds; he gave us the tapes in the first place, so chances are he knows more than we do."

"Right. So what did Torres do?" she asked

"She left Loker to put his stupid opinion in again." Lightman grumbled.

"And why is that her fault?" Foster asked, trying to suppress a most inappropriate giggle.

"Because she was undoubtedly sitting there right beside him, and just didn't have the guts to say anything."

"Nobody can please you can they?"

"You come pretty close" he teased. "But Loker and Torres have to learn to work as a team, win together or lose together, no pointing the finger at teach other."

"Why don't you just tell them that, rather than keeping them on edge for the last couple of years?" Foster asked smirking.

"I like keep them on edge. Telling them what I'm looking for is too…"

"Easy?"

"I was going to say it defeats the purpose of them learning to read people, but I guess, too easy pretty much covers it." He mocked, in his trademark sarcastic tone. Finally the giggle she'd been suppressing escaped her, and he raised an eyebrow alarmingly at the noise.

At the sight she completely dissolved into hysterics. "I think you just invented a new expression!"


	28. TwentyEighth Instalment

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_**Sorry about the delay in posting guys, hopefully I'll have more up later today as well. Glad you're all enjoying this so much, and I've been stunned by all the positive feedback I'm getting. Thanks, you guys ROCK!**_

**~BV~  
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28. Twenty-Eighth Instalment

* * *

Booth made his way to the examination room as quickly as he could without running. All the while his thoughts were whirling. _What the hell was Lightman talking about? Why am I being framed? ... Am I being framed?_ On a whim he pulled out his own phone and placed a call to the FBI.  
"Charlie? Goddamn it man, pick up the phone." The phone however remained stubbornly silent and rang out. Sighing in frustration he made a mental note to call back later, and hurried to find Brennan and the other squints.

* * *

"Cam, Hodgins have you found anything from the tissue samples or particulates?" she asked, raising her eyes from her long study of the body. She has been so focused on her task she didn't realize she had used her colleagues casual names.

"Sorry Dr. B, but the compound which the body was dumped in has corroded most usable particulate evidence." Hodgins said, disappointed.

"Anything that could pinpoint the location of the body?"

"I thought that was already documented in the coroners report." He grumbled.

"Don't take anything for granted, don't make any assumptions." She admonished, but kept her temper in check. Getting emotional now would not help their situation. _But it might ease my frustration_ she thought sourly, returning to the body which still refused to give her any answers. It was an enigma which she was determined to solve, but was fast running out of time to do so.

"Dr. Brennan?"

"Yes Dr. Saroyan? If you have found something, _anything_, I would like to hear it."

"Well those tissue samples you gave me were almost completely destroyed, it was nearly impossible to get DNA out of them."

"You did manage to get a DNA sample?"

"Yes Dr. Brennan. I did. The most interesting thing however was the solution which had corroded the majority of the evidence. I don't know what this is, but perhaps it'll make more sense to you Hodgins." She handed him a slide which he promptly slid into his microscope.

"Well I haven't seen this in a long while."

"Would you care to explain?" Brennan asked, battling to keep her frustration in check. SO far she had been of no use in this investigation, and it was galling her. That as well as the fact that in another couple of hours there wouldn't be an investigation, considering all organic material in here would be irradiated and incinerated.

"Right, Sorry Dr. B. What we have here is a solution of Butoxyethanol, Ethylene, Isopropanol, and glycol n-hexyl ether. It's a type of drain cleaner or strong washing detergent kind of thing." He added for Cam's benefit. "There is also an ethanol based compound in solution as well, but it is very dilute here. I would hazard a guess that it was Vodka though."

"We cannot make-" but Brennan's protest was cut off.

"Why would you think it was Vodka Hodgins? Because of the anthrax?" Cam asked.

"No, but that is quite a coincidence in itself. No, I have seen something like this before when in college our faculty was asked to test some samples for the Police, and we found that there was concentrated Vodka being hidden in drain or window cleaner to smuggle it in. It is relatively easy to separate, and with minimal risk, and is largely undetectable through customs."

"So you think this murder is somehow related Russian Vodka smuggling?" Cam said, confused.

"Well, yeah."

"Isn't that just a little far fetched? Even for you?"

"You kidding? This is nothing for me."

"Dr Saroyan, Hodgins! Please!" Brennan yelled. Mollified the two of them stopped their banter.

"Right, Sorry Dr. B" Hodgins mumbled, and cam nodded her ascent as well.

"So is there any evidence to substantiate your theory Hodgins?" Brennan continued, still glaring at the two of them.

"Well the solution is very similar to one I've seen before, and well… this looks like a warning hit."

"I don't know what the means." She snapped, her patience finally being tested in their situation.

"What I think Hodgins means is that it looks like this man was killed to warn off someone else. It is a very common mentality that criminals, especially those in organized crime, display." Cam tried to support him. Hodgins smiled gratefully.

"I don't believe in psychology." Brennan muttered, facing Hodgins. "I accept your theory, but unless further evidence is found to support it, I cannot." She then turned to Cam. "How far are we from making an I.D.?"

"I have got DNA sample now, I just need Angela or Booth to try and find a match."

"Send the results to Angela, along with all the photos of the skull." with her instructions followed, she turned back to her study of the stubborn skeleton before her, determined to find the answers it held.


	29. TwentyNinth Instalment

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Sorry about the delay again people! Studying for exams coming up, and it takes alot of my time. Enjoy this one!

~BV~

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29. Twenty-Ninth Instalment

**~BV~  
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After talking with Lightman, Foster quickly made her way to Angela's office. She marvelled at the large computer screen and the large computer system behind it for a moment before the forensic artist caught her eye.  
"Are you… sketching?" Foster asked in surprise.

"I won't pretend I haven't been through these situations before," Angela said, not looking away from her page "And while I hate them, I find focusing on the emotions produces a rather unique style of art."

Foster saw the image emerging before her, it showed a woman crying, the features of her face were clearly defined, and resembled those of Dr. Brennan. Her figure however was a lot more vague, with almost no outline, she just seemed to fade into the page.  
"That's beautiful."

"How much are you willing to pay for it?" Angela grinned, her flamboyance catching up to her as she finished the sketch.

"You'd sell something like that?"

"Honey, I'm an Artist. It's what I do." She thrust the painting at Gillian "But you're right, I don't need the money, so take it."

Somewhat startled by the gift, Foster admired the finesse of the sketch. "Is this supposed to be Dr. Brennan?"

"Yeah. I worry about Bren a lot. She always gets herself into some kind of trouble."

"What do you mean?" She asked, curious.

"You better not do you psychologist thing on me." Angela said smirking, "I've dealt with them before."

"I'm caught up in this mess as much as you." Foster said, filing her observations away. "I just want to know what's going on, and I want to know about those two." She pointed to Brennan in the sketch and it was obvious she was referring to the former partners.

"Well what you gotta understand is that there is a history between those two." Angela said sassily, and began recounting her version of their story. "Booth and Bren must have met, what, seven years ago now." she smiled absently remembering the day "The sexual tension was unbelievable. I don't really understand what happened between them before, but I knew they'd met before the first time I met them. That was at an airport, Bren was just coming back from oversees, and Booth had her questioned so he could play the white knight."

"Wait, he did what?"

"Well he called in a favour with a friend of his at homeland security, who Bren promptly assaulted, and he arrested her, then Booth had her freed. Pretty clever plan really, except for the assault part."

"So what happened then?"

"Well I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I know Bren hated being used by law enforcement as just a 'look at the bone, tell me what you see' kinda person so she blackmailed Booth into being his partner and given full involvement in the case."

Foster felt some comment was needed from her part, but honestly didn't know what to say. _What did you say after a story like that? How many times could you break the law in one day then work in law enforcement? _She wasn't sure of the exact count, but those two would definitely give Cal a run for his money.

Angela didn't seem phased by Foster's speechlessness and she carried on with her narrative. "So yeah, they solved the case, and I thought they were going to hook up that night, but it seems not. Then they remained partners, which amazed me. You see Bren hasn't had a very good track record with men you see, well I can't really talk, I guess I haven't either."

"I can fully empathize" Foster said, sharing a laugh with Angela.

"Yeah, but I guess Booth was the first guy to prove to her otherwise. He's the only one who's never left her, although they've only ever been 'just partners'." Angela snorted at this, obviously at odds with the partners adopted motto. "They've basically been through hell and back together, and I know they have feelings for each other, yet Bren… well I don't know with her sometimes." Angela cut herself off.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, Bren, like all of us, has a past, and it's not my story to tell."

"Right." Foster said, holding in a sigh. She still didn't fully understand the bond the two partners had, and the more she learned about them only made the decision she had to make about their future harder. "So what about you?"

"Well I started working here at about the same time, Bren looked at some of my sketches, thought they were very technically adept and decided I could work here."

"So what kind of job does an artist do around here?"

"I'm a forensic artist honey, I also do computers and the like, I have patents pending. Oh and I'm married to the curly haired billionaire who is around locked down around here somewhere."

Suddenly Angela's computer pinged.

"What's that?" Foster said pointing to the picture of seemingly random lines that had popped up on the screen behind Angela.

"That, honey, is a DNA sample, I'm gonna run it against the FBI databases and see if we can get a match to confirm an Identity." She turned and began to fiddle with computer, bringing up a series of photographs and scans of a skull. "These are pics of our victim's skull."

"What do you do with them?"

"What any good artist does, I do a sketch." Angela said smirking.

"I don't understand."

"I look at the skull and I sketch what the man's face would have looked like."

"You can tell that is a man?" Foster asked, sceptically.

"Honey, we're the Jeffersonian, this is what we do."

* * *

"Dr. Hodgins, can you bring that microscope over here?" Brennan asked, her rational mind whirring as she examined the victims radius and humerus.

"What is it Dr. B?"

With out answering she took the scope off Hodgins and focused it on the area that had caught her attention. When she had first examined the body, the area had just seemed like a uniform stress mark on the bone, at the joint of the wrist. It was quite common to see stress wearing occurring here, but this mark was too uniform, almost identically matching one on the other wrist.  
Looking through the microscope now she could see what looked like a discolouration around the bone, caused by pinching off the blood supply. This was very common in victims that had been bound very tightly or for an extended period of time, but this man showed evidence of neither.  
Looking closely she saw what looked like a micro fracture of blunt force trauma, caused by a hard edge being pressed into forcefully the skin and tissue, compressing the bone. The fracture seemed almost out of place against the evidence of being bound, but the answer hit her almost immediately.  
"He was bound with handcuffs."

"What?" Hodgins asked, puzzled. "How does this help us?"

Reviewing all the facts from the body she tried to organize a theory. "Cause of death was assumed to be a drowning, right?"

"The Autopsy report said his lungs were full of the Windex solution" Cam said.

"The solution isn't Windex; Windex uses an ammonium based solvent." Brennan said. "The coroners report said he was found in a container of window cleaner, and that his lungs were full of the solution, so they concluded that he drowned."

"Ok, that's what it said." Cam agreed, unsure where Brennan was going with this.

"Well This man was dead long before his body was dumped, and he was also handcuffed very tightly for sometime before his murder, and there was no evidence of the cuffs where his body was found."

"How can we even be sure this is murder then, without cause of death?" Hodgins asked, equally curious and frustrated.

"I believe I have found that as well." Brennan reported. "This man was injected with some substance via a hypodermic needle, approximately half millimetre in width." Brennan reported, pointing out an almost microscopic nick on the bone, beneath the handcuff mark.

"Are you sur-" Cam began, before cutting herself off. If anyone in the world would know what they were talking about here, it was Brennan.

"So what does this mean for cause of death?"

"We can't make any assumptions at this point, but I am certain that the man was already dead when his body was dumped." She moved the microscope over the victim's lower ribs. "Here" she pointed out to tiny incisions "the man's lungs were very finely punctured so that they would fill up with the solution to make it appeared he drowned. The cuts would have been all but invisible on the flesh."

"Why would someone go to all this effort?" Cam said, finally feeling like she'd asked a useful question. She would never admit it, but sometimes she felt out of her depth around the scientists at the Jeffersonian, if not a little creeped out.

"They obviously don't want us to find the actual murder scene, as any evidence that links the killer to the body will be found there."

"But can't we find the evidence we need on the body?" Hodgins asked.

"I don't know. The bones have been exposed to a strong solvent, far stronger than even industrial cleaners, so we can't find any connection to a killer with the body alone. We connect the body to the scene, then the killer to the scene at the time of death."

"None of this is going to stand up in court." Hodgins said in rising frustration.

"Don't even think that." Brennan said glaring, making sure Hodgins understood her. She would have no more incidents like with the gravedigger. "The day we stop believing in justice is the day we lose it" she quoted Booth.

Hodgins muttered something under his breath but dropped it, and Cam too returned to work, on the seemingly impossible task ahead of them. She briefly checked the time, it was four thirty, they only had half an hour left.

* * *

Booth approached the back up examination room but felt a tug at his shoulder. He spun hurriedly to see Sweets standing behind him nervously. "What is it Sweets?" he said, not even masking his impatience. Bones, Cam and Hodgins didn't have much time left.

"Uh, Booth there's some hazmat guys here now-"

"Fantastic Sweets," he said sarcastically, interrupting Sweets "they took their damn time. Go tell Lightman or Angela, they'll want something to do, or better yet, deal with it yourself."

"But-"

"Don't want to hear it now, no time. Now go and get them!" Sweets still didn't move, but Booth figured his brain would kick into gear any moment and ran for the examination room. "Bones!" he yelled, knowing his voice would be muffled by the door.

* * *

In the room, Brennan raised her head from the skeleton at the sound of Booth's voice. Both Cam and Hodgins were still working away, or doing a convincing job at pretending they were. She moved over to the door where she could understand him "Booth?"

* * *

"Bones, you have got to leave now, the Hazmat team is here." Booth yelled again.

"Booth! Use the intercom!" Her muffled yell was barely intelligible.

"What!"

"In!-ter!-com!" she said slowly. "Beside the door!"

"Oh." He muttered to himself, flicking it on. "Bones, Hazmat is here now, it's time for you to get out of there."

"But I can't Booth! We still haven't examined all the evidence." She

"You can just examine it once you get out." He said, trying to reasonable.

"The body will be destroyed following standard Anthrax sterilization." She pointed out, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Booth for his part was shocked. "Anthrax?" he said shocked. "Bones you have to get out of there now!"

"Booth I can't, the anthrax spores will then be spread around the lab, and you aren't in a protective suit."

"I'm not leaving you in there for a moment longer." He said firmly


End file.
